Little Things
by HaveALolli
Summary: She really, truly, couldn't stand the boy. Narcissistic and arrogant, he was everything she despised. So why, then, did she find herself so addicted to him? Starts off as 5th year ends, will go through 7th year. More plot than just Jily. Rated T for occasional swearing and suggestive content. This is as canon as humanly possible. I mean, Siriusly.
1. One: The Visually Impaired King

**First, I would just like to say thank you! This is my first Marauder story, and I'd greatly appreciate your input/feedback! Review to help me improve my writing (Constructive criticism only, please. Don't be rude.)!**

 **Second, I feel that I should disclose that I'm American. I tried my best to write it in a very… British way? I apologize if there are incorrect usages of some of the terms, or if I in any way offended you if you are from England (Really Europe in general!), I certainly didn't mean to.**

 **Third,** **I** **(obviously)** **don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters within the series** **— J.K. Rowling does, and I am simply giving my take on the Marauders(plus Lily)'s lives. Aside from a few of the side characters, it's all J.K. Rowling's brilliant mind. *All Hail The Queen***

 **Fourth, this story will be told from Lily's perspective, even though this first chapter is from James's. It is simply meant to portray how he feels about her, and then it will be up to Miss Evans to riddle out the mysterious James Potter!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter One: The Visually Impaired King_

* * *

The inevitability of it all was almost amusing. Because he was a boy and she was a girl, and they were polar opposites. Because she was studious; he was negligent. Because she was cautious; he was impulsive. Because she was modest; he was arrogant.

If looked at objectively it probably could have been predicted, yet no-one saw it coming. Not even them. Love is a tricky thing to pinpoint, but he could tell you the second he fell in love with her. It was the way her emerald eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and the way the sun made her red hair look like fire. It was the way her laugh was loud and filled the room, and the way she bit her bottom lip when she was concentrating. The way she cared a little too much about her marks, and the way she always had a witty reply at the ready. It was the little things that were James Potter's downfall.

It had been a day just like any other. He was fiddling with his round glasses, and sitting with his friends. With his back against the tree and his legs crossed in front of him, his eyes followed her as she walked across the grounds with a boy. As she laughed at something he said, James looked away and furrowed his brow.

"Perhaps," said Remus, "If you weren't so keen on staring at Lily all day, you wouldn't be in detention tonight." He was a skinny boy with mousey brown hair, and matched James in height at 6 feet, 2 inches. He had muted green eyes that James would often get jealous of in first year. Remus was often perceived as the most responsible of the Marauders, and this false assumption sent his mates roaring with laughter. No, just because Remus finished his homework and was on his way to joining the Slug Club didn't make him responsible. He was a Marauder, after all.

"It's not my fault McGonagall assigned an unrealistic amount of homework! Staring at Evans has got nothing to do with it." James protested, sitting up a little straighter and directing his attention to the game of wizard's chess being played by Sirius and Peter. As Remus snorted in disbelief, Sirius's knight leapt forward and bashed Peter's rook until all that remained were a few large chunks and some dust. Peter huffed, and Sirius grinned triumphantly.

"Speaking of staring at Evans," Sirius said, casting a mischievous look at James while Peter scrunched his face up in concentration over his next move, "Heard that Prosser was seen eyeing her in Charms, and that he's planning on asking her to Hogsmeade. Want me to… discourage him?" Sirius was only 5 feet 7, but he was more muscular than his taller friends. The black hair which came down to his shoulders, was currently in a very sloppy bun, but he was more often than not seen with it untidy and loose. Sirius was often perceived as tough, with grey eyes, and a roguishly handsome face, but mostly because he occasionally smoked, but because the taste of cigarettes would usually ward off any girls he was after, he hadn't much gotten into it. Peter, on the other hand, had never even tried a cigarette. He refused to share his height with his mates, but they'd determined he was at least 3 inches shorter than Sirius. His dirty blond hair was cut fairly short, and his blue eyes were a dulled shade of Forget-Me-Nots.

James chuckled, "Prosser? He's no threat. What's he? Slytherin?" Sirius nodded and James continued, "She'd never date a Slytherin. I think Snivelly is proof of that. Besides, I don't think he's got the guts to actually ask her out." He added with another small laugh. Sirius just shrugged, and returned to his game.

James's eyes slid back over to Lily like a magnet, and he watched her sit down and take out a book. Whether it was a textbook or a book she was reading simply for fun he could not tell from the distance he sat, but the boy sat down next to her and took out one of his own. Just as James had predicted, the boy was none other than Severus Snape - the greasy, black-haired best mate of Lily Evans. He was in Slytherin, and James hated him with every fiber of his being. He had half a mind to go over and hex the prat into oblivion, but before he could suggest it, Remus gave him a scowl and shook his head slightly.

He knew he should've been working on the homework for McGonagall, but he couldn't bring himself to open his bag and fetch the necessary supplies. A few more minutes passed and with it a few more of Peter's chess pieces, and feeling the nagging tug of boredom, James went back to staring at Lily. She really was beautiful, even from a distance. She was biting her bottom lip, her eyes scanning the pages intently, and a small smile crept onto his face. It wasn't often he got to look at her for so long. Especially without her hexing him. This only made him smile more, of course.

Suddenly, something hard hit his face, and he was snapped out of his Lily-induced daze. "Prongs. Seriously, you're getting creepy about it. You can't just stare at her and smile for no reason. You look mental." This was said by Sirius, who James assumed was also the thrower of the pawn that now lay in the grass. He grunted, and mumbled, "That hurt, you know," and rubbed his cheek.

And that was him. James; Prongs. Black hair he mussed up on purpose because Lily had once told him it looked better that way. As an insult, of course, but he took it to heart anyways. He had hazel eyes that he used to wish were all the way green, but now thought they were better left to Lily.

And James Potter looked at Lily Evans, and felt his heart explode. Not the little flutter or flip-flop it usually did when he looked at her, but a nuclear explosion. He knew this wouldn't be good. He knew this couldn't end well.

-::-

The next day, James had his Defense Against The Dark Arts O.W.L. He'd been quite nervous about the exam but now that he was actually taking it, he thought he could at least manage an "Exceeds Expectations". He finished up the last of the written question he was answering, and brought the parchment back down to read what he had written. Deciding that he had answered it acceptably, he yawned and reached up to ruffle his hair. He glanced at Professor Flitwick, and then turned and grinned at Sirius, who was four seats behind him.

Sirius gave him the thumbs-up. He was leaning back in his chair, so it was only standing on two legs. Behind him, Millie McSorely was eyeing him hopefully, but he hadn't yet noticed. Quickly becoming bored, he took out a spare bit of parchment and doodled a snitch onto it. He carefully started sketching the letters L. E. on it, his mind drifting to Lily…

"Quills down, please!" squealed Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment. _Accio!_ "

More than a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed towards Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him off his feet. James laughed and looked sideways at Remus, who was a few seats to the left, to see him smiling softly as well. A couple students from the front desks moved to help the little professor back to his feet.

"Thank you… thank you," panted Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"

James hastily crossed out the L. E. he'd been embellishing, jumped to his feet, stuffed his quill and the exam question paper into his bag, which he slung over his back, and stood waiting for Sirius to join him.

Sirius, Remus, and Peter all found their way to him, and they started out of the classroom. Peter looked very worried, but besides him they were all confident they'd done their best. "Did you like question ten, Moony?" Sirius asked as they reached the entrance hall.

"Loved it," said Remus briskly, "'Give five signs that identify the werewolf.' Excellent question."

"D'you think you managed to get all the signs?" asked James sarcastically.

"Think I did," said Remus seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. "One: He's sitting in my chair. Two: He's wearing my clothes. Three: His name's Remus Lupin…"

Peter was the only one who didn't laugh, though James thought it was quite clever. "I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes, and the tufted tail," Peter said anxiously, "but I couldn't think of what else —"

"How thick are you, Wormtail?" James said impatiently, "You run round with a werewolf once a month —"

"Keep your voice down." implored Remus. They continued to bicker over which questions they had gotten right and wrong all the way down to the lawn by the lake. "Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake," Sirius said. "I'll be surprised if I don't get an Outstanding on it at least."

"Me too," agreed James, putting a hand in his pocket and pulling out a struggling Golden Snitch.

"Where'd you get that?" Peter questioned.

"Nicked it." James replied casually. He started playing with the Snitch, allowing it to fly up to a foot away before recapturing it; a skill he'd learned in quidditch practice. Peter watched him in awe. They stopped in the shade of a beech tree and threw themselves down on the grass. James trailed Lily and a few of her friends with his eyes as they came out of the Great Hall and pulled their socks and shoes off, cooling their feet in the water.

Remus had taken out a book and begun to read. Sirius was staring around at the students milling about on the lawn, looking quite contemptuous and bored. James was stilling playing with the Snitch, lazily letting it in and out of his grasp, and running a hand through his hair so as to not let it get too tidy. Peter was watching with his mouth open. Every time James made a particularly difficult catch, Peter would gasp and applaud, rather stroking his ego.

After a few minutes of this, Sirius had apparently had enough. "Put that away, will you?" Sirius said irritably. "Before Wormtail wets himself from excitement." Peter blushed slightly, but James just grinned.

"If it bothers you," he said, and stuffed the Snitch back into his pocket.

"I'm bored," Sirius complained. "I wish it were a full moon."

"You might," said Remus darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me…. here." He held out his Transfiguration book. Sirius snorted, "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is…." Sirius turned his head, and he became very still. "Excellent," he said softly. " _Snivellus._ "

As Snape emerged from behind the bushes previously blocking their view of the greasy boy and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up. James knew Remus wouldn't approve, but he pushed the thought from his mind and began to stride over to where Snape was with Sirius. "All right, Snivellus?" James said loudly.

Snape reacted with lightning speed. He reached in his pocket and his wand was halfway into the air before James shouted, " _Expelliarmus!_ " Sirius let out a bark of laughter as his wand flew twelve feet into the air, and landed in the grass behind him with a little thud. " _Impedimenta!_ " he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet, halfway through a dive toward his wand.

James took note of the crowd they were beginning to attract. Some students had gotten to their feet and were edging nearer to watch. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained. He continued to harass the Slytherin boy, filling his mouth with soap, hanging him from the air so his robes feel over his face and his underwear was exposed, and taunting him, until someone intervened.

"Leave him ALONE!"

James and Sirius looked around for the source of the command. When his eyes landed on Lily, his free hand jumped to his hair again. "All right, Evans?" James said, keeping his voice pleasant and deep.

"Leave him alone," Lily repeated. She was looking at James with disgust. "What's he done to you?"

"Well," said James, deliberating the point,"It's more the fact that he _exists_ , if you know what I mean…."

Many of the audience members laughed again, Sirius and Peter included, but Remus still had his eyes in his book, and didn't even crack a smile. James made a mental note to tell him to get in on the fun later. "You think you're funny," she said callously. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him _alone_."

How was it that she sounded so attractive when she was mad? "I will if you go out with me, Evans, " James said quickly, jumping at the opportunity. "Go on… Go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again." His heart raced at just the thought of her saying yes, though he knew she probably wouldn't.

Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Snape was trying to reach his wand, spitting out soap suds as he crawled. Lily scoffed. "I wouldn't go out with you if it were a choice between you and the giant squid," she said. James grinned, and that explosive feeling started back up again. He was used to the rejection, but he always enjoyed the creative insults she managed to come up with.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius dismissively, turning back to Snape. "OY!" But it was too late; there was a flash of white light and a searing pain was introduced to James's face, splattering his robes with blood. James whirled around, all traces of a smile gone, and a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside down in the air, his robes falling over his head. The crowd cheered, and James, Sirius, and Peter roared with laughter. Lily's expression, however, remained furious, "Let him down," she hissed.

"Certainly," James said and with a smirk, he jerked his wand upward. Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Extricating himself from his robes, he quickly tried to shuffle over to where his wand sat in the grass. He never made it, though, because at that moment Sirius shouted, " _Petrificus Totalus!_ " and Snape keeled over again, stiff as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily warned. She had her own wand out now, and James and Sirius eyed it warily. He vividly remembered the last time he was on the receiving end of one of her hexes, and he didn't fancy going through anything like that again. "Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," James said earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

James sighed dramatically, then turned and mutter the countercurse. "There you go," he said and Snape got to his feet again, "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus —"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

Lily blinked, and James was too appalled by his repulsive choice of insult to say anything in her defense. "Fine," she said, recovering rather quickly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, _Snivellus_."

Suddenly feeling the need to play the knight in shining armor, James found his voice again. "Apologize to Evans!" He roared at Snape, pointing his wand threateningly at him.

"I don't want _you_ to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is…."

"What?" he gawked, "I'd NEVER call you a — you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off a broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can — I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."

She turned on her heel and began hurrying away. Her words stung, and this time he didn't grin. But as soon as her face was out of view, the miniature bombs going off in his chest lessened. Why did that keep happening? She'd been screaming at him, yet he was loving the attention she was giving him. That didn't mean…. He wasn't…. He couldn't be. He'd have to be a masochist to fall in love with someone who hates him. Before he had time to think it over more, and missing her already, he called out.

"Evans!" James shouted after her, "Hey, EVANS!" But she didn't look back.

"What is it with her?" He asked nonchalantly, trying and failing to look like the question meant nothing to him.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate." Sirius said.

It was unfair. She couldn't make him fall head over heels for her, and then detest him so tremendously. It was simply cruel. He was livid, and desperate for a way to take out his anger. Because he couldn't deny it anymore. He was in love with Lily Evans, and he resented her for it. Thinking wasn't helping, though. It was only making him angrier.

"Right," James said furiously, looking around for something to ease his temper. His eyes landed on Snape again. "Right —"

With another flash of light, Snape was hanging upside down again.

"Who wants to see me take of Snivelly's pants?" said James callously, and the crowd cheered again.

-::-

After he had finished the last of his O.W.L.s, James traipsed back to the Gryffindor common room with Peter in tow. Neither of the boys had ever found History of Magic very interesting, and had consequently stayed up until the early hours of the morning trying to study for the exam. They passed a group of Hufflepuff girls, who all giggled and batted their eyelashes as they passed, but all James had the energy for was a wink before turning back to his anxious friend.

"What did you put for question thirteen?" Peter asked worriedly. "I think I got the goblin rebellions in the proper order, but —"

"Hush, Wormtail. You'll give me a headache if I have to keep hearing about that rubbish," James complained, adjusting the strap of his bag. "Besides, the exam's over. Nothing you can do even if you did get it wrong."

Peter didn't reply, but furrowed his brows at his friends' dismissal. As they climbed the stairs to the Fat Lady's portrait, a first year Gryffindor boy with flaming red hair knocked James as he was adjusting his glasses, and they went soaring out of his hand.

"Oy! Watch it!" James barked as he half-glared, half-squinted at the boy. Try as he might, he could not tell if the blurry shape of what he _thought_ was the small Gryffindor was someone he knew. "S-sorry!" the boy squeaked, and James grunted in response as the red head scurried away.

"You good, Prongs?" inquired Peter as James turned back to him.

"Hm? Brilliant. I just, you know, can't see you. Or where my glasses went. Or much of _anything_." said James sarcastically, hoping Peter would take the hint.

James saw Peter's blurry head bob up and down, and he went to search for his friends' glasses. They must have been knocked further away than he thought, however, because after couple minutes of searching Peter still hadn't located them. James had turned to look at Peter's fuzzy outline sweep the floor in search when he heard a female voice from behind him, making him jump.

"Employing your mates to scrub the floor now, are we? What a charitable King you are, Potter, letting him be in your presence." If there had been any doubt who the owner of the voice was before he whirled around to face her, there wasn't anymore. Even through his bleary vision he could see her fiery red hair, a glowing blob a few feet away from him. He guessed by her tone she had raised one of her eyebrows and crossed her arms in disapproval. He grinned, his stomach squirming with the pleasure of seeing her again.

"I try," said James in mock tones of concern. "But every visually impaired King needs his glasses. Haven't seen them around, have you, Evans?" He ended by flashing her his most dazzling grin, and he could imagine her rolling her eyes.

She snorted. "Honestly, Potter, are you even a wizard? _Accio Glasses!_ " she said, and he heard her wand swish. He faintly heard the sound of the brims of his glasses scraping along the stone steps, and Lily made a move to catch the spectacles as they flew towards her. James felt rather embarrassed he hadn't thought of this solution before she came.

She advanced toward him and held out her hand, presumably with the glasses in them, though without them on he couldn't tell. He reached out his own hand and aimed for hers. It missed. James felt his cheeks get hot, and he self-corrected, making contact with Lily's hand. Her palm was warm, and smooth, and delicate. He realized he'd never felt her hands before and lingered there a few seconds longer than he should've, but he almost winced when he thought how rough his own must feel, and quickly snatched his glasses up and slid them onto his face.

Everything slid back into focus, and he realized for the first time that some of Lily's mates were standing a few yards behind her, watching the scene unfold with amused expressions on their faces. He let his eyes travel back to Lily. She too, was wearing a small smile; she was proud of her insult. It was cute…

"You know, Evans, every King needs a Queen. Interested?" He asked, giving her a wink.

Her smile immediately dropped and she tucked her wand back into her robes, brushing past him and continued down the staircase with her friends. "Sorry, I've got a date with the giant squid, remember?"

He called, "Evans!" and she glanced over her shoulder, but didn't stop walking. "You forgot to bow to your King!"

She muttered something, aimed a spell at him from over her shoulder, and a silvery-blue mist shot out of her wand tip. "Sod off, Potter."

He and Peter, who had righted himself and come to stand next to James, leapt out of the way as her charm hit the step they'd been standing on, blue slime covering it. Deep purple bubbles started to ooze out of it, and James was glad he'd gotten out of the way. He looked back at her retreating figure, and grinned again.

 _Look on the bright side,_ he thought cheerfully. _She didn't call you an arrogant toerag this time!_

* * *

 **A/N: How'd I do? I'd love to hear what you thought! Also, apologies on the James bullying scene — it went on for quite a bit, but I think it shows well how much Lily dislikes him. I tried to input some of James's thoughts into there…**


	2. Two: Absolutely No Love

**Welcome back! Thanks for sticking with the story! 3**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Two: Absolutely No Love_

* * *

Her friends hardly containing their laughs behind her, she threw a spell over her shoulder at James, and she just saw him jump out of the way before she turned to look straight ahead again. A small smile tugging at her lips, she shushed her mates quietly and continued briskly along the hallway. As soon as they rounded the corner and were out of view, the girls behind her burst into a fit of giggles.

"Will you _hush!_ " said Lily, stopping and turning to face them. "It's not that funny! Mary, I expected more from you."

Mary Macdonald was a petite brunette, and she was one of Lily's closest friends. She had eyes the color of honey, and she was just as sweet. Mary was friendly towards _everyone_ , even Potter, much to Lily's dismay. She'd never, to Lily's knowledge, even raised her voice at him. She didn't understand how that could be done, but she admired her patience all the same. Mary hung her head and adopted a look of mock shame. Beside her stood Marlene and Dorcas.

Marlene McKinnon had curly blonde hair that stopped just short of her elbows, and it bounced when she walked. She had stunning eyes that changed from blue to grey depending on the light, and she often used this trick to try and convince people she had a twin. She also had an uncanny ability to tell when someone was lying, and it irritated her mates beyond belief.

Dorcas Meadowes had straight, black hair that brushed her shoulders, and blue eyes. Dorcas was quite outspoken. She had strong opinions, no problem voicing them, and was much too stubborn for her own good. She wore large glasses and had a bad habit of biting her nails, but when asked about it she said only that she had tried everything to stop biting them.

"James looks funny without his glasses on," Mary admitted. "His face looks wider. Didn't you notice?"

Lily shook her head, both answering the question and in disbelief that her mates found something so stupid, amusing. The four of them continued down the hall, chatting about their O.W.L. marks.

"How d'you think you did on that potions essay, Mar?" asked Mary nervously. "We must have wronged Slughorn somehow. I mean, why'd he have to assign us Draught of Living Death? That's the one I didn't study for, 'cause I thought he surely wouldn't be _that_ cruel."

"Well, I remembered that the Wormwood came first, and then the asphodel. Then I put sloth brain, but I wasn't sure after that…" Marlene said, and she turned to Lily. "What did you put?"

Lily sighed. "Well, the infusion of Wormwood _does_ come first, and the powdered root of Asphodel _does_ come next, but you need to stir twice clockwise before adding the sloth brain." Marlene swore under her breath, and Lily continued absent-mindedly. "Then Sopophorous bean juice. The book says to use 12, but I've always found it better to use 13. The book also says to stir seven times anti-clockwise, but Sev — er, never mind. How about your Charms O.W.L.?" Lily felt the sadness rise up in her chest again as she accidentally said her ex-best friends name, and thought about how they had discovered those tricks together, but she quickly pushed the grief she felt away, and continued to talk about Charms.

Once they reached the Great Hall, they found their usual seats and sat down. Dinner wasn't for a few more hours, but the hall was nearly empty and they had agreed it would be better to get the last bit of homework they had finished, before the weekend.

Lily reached into her school bag and sought out a bit a parchment and a quill. Finding the former, she placed it on the table, but couldn't find a quill. She blew a piece of hair out her eyes annoyedly, and her hand closed instead around a pen. Pulling it out, she briefly wondered how it had gotten into her bag, because she rarely used them at Hogwarts, but clicked it anyways and began to write.

Marlene and Dorcas were eyeing it warily, and Lily let out a laugh when she saw their expressions. "Oh, come on! Don't tell me you've never seen a bloody _pen_ before!" she asked in disbelief, and laughed harder when, at the word "pen", they gave each other confused glances.

Mary chuckled too. "You lot are such Purebloods." she said, and went back to her work, smiling.

Marlene and Dorcas looked a bit offended, and Lily offered them an explanation. "It's like a quill. But, you don't have to keep dipping it in the ink. A muggle quill, I suppose."

Wanting to play with the new object they discovered, the two girls let Lily borrow one of their quills, and spent the rest of the time until dinner clicking the pen and doodling with it. By the time the Great Hall was filling with people, Mary and Lily had finished their work and were watching Marlene and Dorcas scribble on a piece of parchment, and kept throwing amused looks at one another.

-::-

After dinner, they had all gone back to the Gryffindor common room, where Marlene and Dorcas had to finish their homework. They complained at first, but after Lily told them they could both use pens to do it, they immediately agreed. After about 15 minutes of watching them do their work, Lily stretched, said goodnight, and headed up to the dormitory to sleep.

But she'd only just gotten into her dressing gown and tucked herself into bed when Mary came in looking for her. "Lily?" She called out.

"Mhm?" replied Lily sleepily, rolling over and rubbing her eyes.

"He, er, well… it's Snape, he's —" Mary began.

"No. I don't want to talk to him," said Lily, now wide awake.

"I know, I know. And that's what I told him, er, but he said he'll sleep out there if you don't speak with him." Mary said tentatively, wringing her fingers awkwardly. None of her friends really knew how to approach the topic of Severus Snape. They never understood Lily's friendship with him, but they didn't insult him. They weren't sure whether to absolutely hate him, which they absolutely did, or be comforting to Lily about him.

"He's… oh, for Merlin's sake _fine._ I'll speak to that greasy little… sleep outside the… so dramatic…."

Lily grumbled as she trudged down the stairs. When she got to the bottom, she was greeted by the sight of all four Marauders sat around the fireplace laughing. As she put her weight on the last stair it creaked, and James's head swiveled, their eyes meeting. James's eyes widened, stayed oddly transfixed with hers, and he blushed slightly. She saw Sirius smirk out of the corner of her eye.

"Evening, Evans," said Sirius cooly. "Cold?"

"You — huh? Cold?" said Lily, very confused. Mary glared at Sirius, and prodded Lily with her elbow. Lily suddenly became very aware that she wasn't wearing a bra and it was, in fact, rather cold. Lily turned bright red and she quickly turned away from the now-giggling Sirius as Mary shrugged off her jacket and handed it to Lily.

"Prick," said Lily as she donned the coat and stomped off to deal with Severus.

She pushed open the Fat Lady's portrait, and saw him sitting with his head against the wall. As soon as she came out, he scrambled to his feet.

"Lil, I—" he pleaded.

"Don't call me that." she said coldly, glaring at him.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered.

"I'm not interested," she stated, still hostile.

"I'm sorry!"

"Save your breath." hissed Lily. "I only came out here because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here."

"I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just —"

"Slipped out?" asked Lily mercilessly. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends — you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be. You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?"

Severus opened his mouth, but he seemed to be at a loss for words, because he closed it again without speaking.

"I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine."

He went into a state of panic, "No — listen, I didn't mean —"

"— to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?" He looked like he was about to say something, but suddenly being fed up with the argument, she turned around and slipped back through the portrait hole, closing it as she went.

As she reentered the common room, her friends' eyes all turned to her again. "Well?" asked Dorcas.

Lily sighed. "He just tried to apologize again. It's… never mind. I sorted it. I'm going back to bed. Mar, Dorie, it's late. You should come up too. You can finish that in the morning. And _piss off,_ Black. Yes, it's hilarious. Three girls going to bed together. Kinky. Whatever," she added sarcastically when Sirius grinned and opened his mouth to comment.

Too tired to deal with any of the Marauders, she heaved herself back up the stairs, onto her bed, under the covers, and fell asleep.

That night, she dreamed that she was wading through a swamp, with Death Eaters chasing her. She kept tripping, though, and when she fell she discovered it wasn't muddy water she was walking through, but blood. The nearest Death Eater got a hold on her arm, and she saw that it was none other than Severus Snape.

-::-

When she woke she felt as if she hadn't slept at all. Groggy, and drained from the dream she'd had, she went down to breakfast without brushing her hair or showering. She threw herself down on the seat left of Dorcas and started piling a mountain of eggs and bacon onto her plate.

"Are you okay, Lily?" Marlene asked from across the table. Lily grunted in response and, upon seeing the looks other students were giving her, stopped putting eggs onto her plate and instead started shoveling them into her mouth. "I'll take that as a 'shove off', then?" and Lily glared at her. Marlene put her hands up, then took a bite of her toast. Mary, seated next to Marlene, leaned across the table and whispered, "Prosser at 8 o'clock."

Lily's eyes widened in fear as she realized what a mess she must look like. She frantically tried to smooth out her hair and seem more cleanly than she was, but before her efforts could amount to much, Markus Prosser tapped her on her shoulder.

Lily's first boyfriend was named Albert Purcell, and they started dating in second year. The relationship mostly consisted of hand-holding and occasional snuggling, but it was, to them at least, a relationship. It wasn't until Lily's third boyfriend, Julius Wisby, that she had her first kiss. Her fifth romantic relationship with Morgan Askew ended with him groping her. Not a lot of boys had been interested in her since then. She figured that it had something to do with rumors, but the change happened fast, and suspiciously close to when James Potter started to ask her out. Markus Prosser hadn't been the first one keen since, but he had been the most attractive. He was tall, taller than any guy she'd dated, with brown hair and blue eyes, and ears that stuck out a little too much. She liked him, though, and she'd heard gossip he was going to ask her to Hogsmeade. Why he chose the day she looked like a troll, she didn't know.

Lily turned and smiled up at him, praying that her current, and not particularly pleasant, smell wouldn't scare him off. "Hi!" she said.

"Hey. Er, so… I was wondering, er, _ifyou'dwanttogotoHogsmeadewithme_?" He stammered, looking somewhat terrified.

"S-sorry? Didn't quite catch that." said Lily with a laugh.

Markus turned a shade or two pinker, and after a quick little breath, said "D'you, I mean, if you want to, would you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"Oh! Yes! Of course I'll go with you!" said Lily, quite relieved he hadn't changed his mind. She'd convinced herself she had actual green clouds coming off her body, she smelled so bad. "This Sunday, how about?"

Markus beamed, "Sounds perfect! I'll meet you by the entrance?" She nodded, and they said goodbye. She watched him join his friends at the Slytherin table, and they high-fived him after a few moments. She turned back to her own friends only to see they were all giving her odd looks. "What?" she asked.

"I mean, he's cute and all, but…" Marlene trailed off.

"But, what?" Lily repeated.

"He's, you know…" Mary said mysteriously.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Be vaguer."

"Slytherin." Dorcas finally said.

Lily was shocked. "You… you don't like him because he's in Slytherin? What's that got anything to do with it?" she crossed her arms and waited for their response.

"Oh, come on Lily. Don't be daft. All Slytherins want to do nowadays is work for You-Know-Who. Look at Mulciber. And Avery. And —" Dorcas paused and swallowed before finishing her sentence quietly. "And Snape."

"That's not fair! Not all Slytherins are like that!" Marlene snorted. "You don't even know him!" Lily said, a little louder than she meant to. She looked around, and some people had started giving her funny looks again. "You don't even know him," she finished, in a hushed tone this time.

"I met his parents once, at a party," said Dorcas. "Awful people. Wouldn't let anyone into their house unless they were Pureblood. I'd bet anything they were Death Eaters. He'll probably be one before long, too. In fact, he might try to kill you on that date of yours, so bring your wand."

"Stop it Dorcas!" screeched Lily, abandoning her hushed tone. "That's an awful thing to say!" She rose from her seat and raced out of the Great Hall, all thoughts of breakfast gone from her mind. She hurried down the hall and burst through the front doors onto the lawn. It was a Saturday, so students were milling about. Doing homework, practicing jinxes, and goofing off together. Lily scurried off to the lakeside, and sat herself down on a fallen tree.

Why had Dorcas said that? Not everyone in Slytherin was a Death Eater, and she knew that. Why was she being so mean to him, when she knew that Lily really liked him? She knew Dorcas had no trouble voicing her opinions, but they usually weren't so bigoted. She sighed and looked out over the lake. The sun was out, and it shone against the rippling lake, making the water twinkle. It was rather beautiful, with the birds, the lake, and the barking. Wait, barking?

Lily listened closer and heard it again. She turned around just in time to see three dogs pelting towards her. She screamed, and they collided with her, knocking her into the water. She reached for her wand, feeling her fingers close around the reassuring piece of wood. She whipped it out of her pocket, but she soon saw they was no need. The dogs were wrestling with each other, chasing each other. She was sitting in about a foot and a half of water, but because the dogs were splashing around, she was completely soaked. She righted herself, stepped out of the lake and used her wand to pull the water out of her clothing. As soon as she had finished, something connected with her back, pushing her down into the dirt again.

She struggled underneath the great weight, before she felt something cold against the back of her neck. She turned her head to see a handsome black dog had pinned her down, and was sniffing her. He licked her cheek, and she smiled. He climbed off her, and allowed her to sit up.

"Hello there," said Lily. "You, my friend, could stand to lose a few pounds." She amused herself by imagining she saw the excitement slide out of the dogs eyes, and replace it with a look of annoyance.

"What a pretty dog you are, though," cooed Lily, reaching up to pat his head. The dog's tail wagged, and he licked her cheek again. "Slobbery, but pretty."

A rat suddenly scurried out from behind a log, which the dog snatched up in its mouth. Lily gasped, "No! Don't hurt it!" She pried the rat from out of his teeth, cradling it. The rat was shaking, and Lily brought it closer to her chest to soothe it.

"Shh… it's okay, little guy. The mean, pretty, slightly overweight dog won't hurt you as long as I'm here" she murmured. The dog stood slowly, turned around, and wagged his tail aggressively, hitting Lily in the face with it. "Oy!" cried Lily, releasing the rat to escape from the tail. The rat dropped onto her lap, where it stayed curled.

Lily chuckled, and looked around at the other dogs still scuffling in the water. "Who had the nerve to bring not one, not two, but _three_ dogs into Hog — never mind. I'd bet my life it was the Marauders, actually. Mystery solved. How'd they get them in, though?" pondered Lily. She looked to the dog and rat for an answer, but, obviously, none came.

"Oh, right. You lot are animals. You can't actually… respond. Brilliant," muttered Lily, but before she could go on she heard someone coming. The big black dog suddenly pounced on her again, pinning her to the ground, and the rat squeezed out from under her and waited near her head, which was now at eye-level with the rodent. "Again? Merlin, what do you eat all day, chocolate frogs?"

And then, none other than James Potter appeared at her side, panting and out of breath. "Ah. Fantastic," said Lily sarcastically, struggling to get up. The dog wouldn't budge, though, and her wand had been knocked several paces away.

He smirked. "In need of some assistance, Evans? Of course, it'd require some payment, but I think a trip to Hogsmeade with me should cover it," said James.

"Help? Not from you, Potter," Lily said, trying again to push the dog off. "No, _actually,_ dog. What've you been eating lately, you're so hea — oomph!" Before Lily could finish her sentence, the dog had put it's paw in her mouth. "Ohmph!"

James's smile only grew. "Just say the word, Evans," he said. "Or, if you can't manage that, grunt the word." Lily glared at him.

"Fod op, Podder!" grumbled Lily. The dog, which didn't look like it was going to be moving anytime soon, settled its front paws on Lily's chest, enabling her speech again. "That was disgusting."

"Again, your wish is my command."

"Keep dreaming, Potter. This bloody dog's got to move sometime!" cried Lily, wheezing from the immense weight of the creature. The dog just licked her face, chin to forehead.

James suddenly looked quite upset, "You know, you're right. Who does this dog think he is, _licking_ you and _sitting_ on you?" He strode over to her and wrapped his arms around the dogs furry black torso, lifting him off of Lily, who scrambled to her feet, brushing dirt of her clothes and retrieving her wand. When she looked back at James, he was glaring at the dog, and had crossed his arms.

"Er, thanks. I suppose," she stammered, not liking having to thank him.

"Hm? Yeah, anytime. I am a generous King, after all. I try to serve my people well, and my future Queens even better!" said James, grinning.

"There's the egomaniac we all know," Lily said sarcastically.

"What, no 'know and love'?" asked James, a convincing tone of hurt in his voice.

Lily laughed. " _Absolutely_ no love, Potter!" said Lily and this time, an even more authentic look of agony fell across his eyes.

He put his hand over heart, "You've hurt me, Evans. You've broken me."

"Don't be so dramatic," she said, and started back towards the castle. Behind her, she heard James say one more thing before he was out of earshot.

"You've been my downfall, Evans."

* * *

 **A/N: Second chapter, thoughts? I rather like writing the scenes with James and Lily, though it may just be the uncontrollable obsession with them I have doing the talking. Dunno.**


	3. Three: Caught In The Headlights

**Perhaps a little teensy review? Really, it helps more than you can imagine. Just what you think so far, or the general direction you want me to take this in. I have an idea, but would love your input!**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Three: Caught In The Headlights_

* * *

Lily and Dorcas refused to speak to each other for the rest of the day, choosing instead to throw withering glances when they passed in the hallway. Lily, only just getting back to the common room as the sun brushed the tips of the trees on it's way down, entered the room expecting to find a crackling fire and a few students doing their homework. That is not, however, what she found.

She closed the portrait door behind her to see about a hundred students crammed into the room. Music from a band she didn't recognize was playing and people were more than tipsy, swaying and stumbling to the tune. A very intoxicated Dorcas, followed closely by a worried looking Marlene, approached her.

"Where've you been?" asked Marlene, as she steadied Dorcas.

"With Slughorn. He wanted dinner with me and Adrian, but I'm wondering if you could tell me why this," Lily gestured to the scene around her. "Is happening? What, did we win a Quidditch match, or some rubbish?"

Dorcas gasped dramatically. She had always been a fan of the game, and hadn't missed a match since they had arrived at Hogwarts. She cheered on anyone but Slytherin, and always painted her face with the house she was rooting for's colors. "Jus' because you don' like Quidditch don' give you tha righ' to —" Dorcas stopped mid-sentence and hiccuped, momentarily distracting her from her rant. "Wha' was I talkin' 'bout?"

"You were just saying that you should take it slower with the Firewhiskeys," said Lily. She had a low tolerance for drunk people, and turned back to Marlene as Dorcas hiccuped again. "Well?"

"It's the end of fifth year!" Marlene exclaimed. "We invited a couple people from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff up to celebrate with us! Come on, Lily, just come dance with us."

Marlene gave Lily her best puppy dog eyes, and Lily agreed to a dance. She bobbed awkwardly to the song in the middle of the thronging crowd, and she wondered briefly how many people at the party were even fifth years. Some of the students looked no older than third years, while some resembled seventh years. She even thought she caught a glimpse of Ravenclaw's Head Boy and Girl snogging by the fireplace, but she couldn't be sure.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I know I sh— *hic* —should've got ta know 'im 'fore I said those 'oribble things," sputtered Dorcas. "Or, not say 'em a' all. I'm sorry…."

Lily smiled at her. "It's okay, Dorie. Just… I think he's a good guy, and I really like him," said Lily, and the two girls hugged. When the song ended, Marlene led the now-drowsy Dorcas up to the dorm rooms, while Lily stayed behind. She wasn't tired yet, but she wasn't in the mood to dance, so she squeezed past the other students and made her way to the couch by the fireplace, where the two Ravenclaws from before had abandoned they're snogging location in search of a quieter one. There was the couch she was sitting on, and four other cushioned chairs around the fire. Lily felt much better, having made up with Dorcas, but her mood quickly dropped again when she saw all four Marauders walk through the portrait hole, an enormous quantity of food hovering just behind them.

"Food's here!" shouted Sirius, who aimed his wand at the snacks, floating them over to a long table near the back of the room. The crowd cheered and made their way over to the snacks. The Marauders looked extremely pleased with themselves. Remus muttered something to James, causing both of them the crack smiles.

Once the mass of partiers had settled itself near the food, Lily glanced at the four boys now beaming by the door. Peter waited a few beats before scurrying over to the treats himself, disappearing into the masses. Sighing, she looked around for Marlene. She'd said that she would come back after putting Dorcas to bed, but she was still out of sight.

"Not hungry, Lily?"

Lily looked up at the sound of Remus's voice. Remus was, out of the four of them, the most tolerable. He, like Lily, had been made Prefect earlier in the year, and he often put his less mature friends in place, which gave Lily every delight to witness.

"I just had dinner with Slughorn. Put in a few compliments for you, too. " said Lily with a laugh. She often wondered why Remus wasn't part of Horace Slughorn's infamous Slug Club or, as nearly everyone who wasn't in it preferred, Partisanship Club. She had once said that he ought to be in it, but he had just chuckled and shook his head.

Remus smiled, and sat himself down in one of the padded chairs, making himself comfortable. "I told them not to go big with this, but they did anyways," sighed Remus. "They, er, tried to get Dumbledore to come."

"Would've succeeded, too, if it weren't for McGonagall," Sirius said, returning from the snack table and plopping down on the seat next to Remus, his hands full of sweets.

"What'd you do, blackmail the poor man?" asked Lily indignantly and Sirius bit into a small pie. James and Peter arrived too, their arms also full of goodies. Lily made a move to get up and leave, but James stood in her way.

"Move, Potter," muttered Lily, crossing her arms.

"Evans, I haven't even done anything yet. At least let me make a fool of myself before you leave," James said, smiling innocently down at her. Lily rolled her eyes, but flopped back down on the couch. Peter sat on the far side of the lounge, but James sat so close to her she could _feel_ his heartbeat. It was… fast. She'd never sat this close to him… she had pictured herself hating it a lot more.

"You know why people make _couches,_ Potter? So that they don't have to be as close as they would be if they were sharing a _chair._ Move," said Lily pushing him away slightly.

James smirked, but obediently slid a few centimeters away, so only their knees were touching. She crossed her legs, not wanting to have any sort of contact with the messy-haired boy.

"Padfoot wasn't trying to blackmail Dumbledore, he was trying to _bribe_ him," said James, arching one eyebrow and giving Sirius a glance.

" _What?_ You tried to bribe Dumbledore? Merlin, with _what?_ " demanded Lily, looking disapprovingly at Sirius.

Sirius raised an eyebrow and smirked mischievously. "My body."

Lily blinked, and was silent as all the Marauders looked to see what her reaction to this would be. " _Sirius. Orion. Black._ You did _not_ try to seduce Albus Dumbledore," said Lily very slowly.

Sirius grinned even wider, winked, and took another bite of the pie.

"You bet he did. That _dog,_ am I right?" said James. As James and Sirius high-fived, Remus pressed his hands against his eyes and took a few breaths, muttered "Merlin," and left to get food. Peter chuckled, but Lily didn't find it funny.

"That's…" said Lily as she searched for the right words. "Disturbing. And — hang on! How does McGonagall come into this?"

Peter giggled again, and James snorted next to her. "She walked in on him flirting and gave him a month's worth of detentions," said Peter.

Lily was silent for another minute. "No. You're making that up, Black, because even you wouldn't do that."

"What wouldn't Sirius do?" Marlene suddenly said, emerging from the crowd and standing near the fireplace, a cup of firewhiskey in her hand.

"Seduce Dumbledore," said Lily.

Marlene choked on her drink and stared from Lily to Sirius, before she burst out laughing. "Yeah, I'm gonna have to go with Lily on this one. There's _no way_ you'd do that."

"I'm deeply offended by your lack of faith, Evans, and would appreciate it if you didn't go spreading your false opinion. Please have more confidence in the abilities of my impressive physique," Sirius said, and popped the rest of the pie into his mouth.

"Well, it is quite remarkable that your body can hold your head, seeing as it's so inflated," said Lily with a smirk, and Marlene giggled.

Sirius only flexed his bicep and said, "I know. It's magnificent, isn't it."

Lily murmured a few choice words, making James try to contain a smile.

"Hey, Evans, you saw that catch today, right? Pretty incredible, eh?" asked James, and he put his arm around the back of the couch, resting his hand on her shoulder and leaning in so his face was only a few inches away.

She scowled and flicked his hand away, "What are you on about, Potter?" she asked.

He furrowed his brow, and replaced his hand, this time dangerously low on her collarbone. "The match. Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw! Didn't you come to it?"

"Oh. Quidditch? No, but I'm sure it was glorious," said Lily sarcastically, batting it off again.

"It was! He made an amazing catch and zoomed off to score five goals before Wisby caught the Snitch! He put us in the lead for the House Cup," Peter said excitedly. Lily raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, well. I was in the library, so I didn't—"

"You missed my match to _return books?_ Evans, that's cold," said James, shaking his head dramatically, and tried to sneak his hand around her waist this time. "But I think I can think of a few ways you could make it up to me…"

"Potter!" she barked, and his hand snapped back, a guilty grin spreading across his face. "Okay, I've had enough Marauders for one night," she said, standing up. "Good night."

"Sleep tight, Evans," James said as she marched upstairs.

-::-

In the morning, Lily woke to Mary standing over her. "Up, up, up!" Mary cried. "It's time to get you ready!"

Lily groaned, and rolled over. The sun was shining through the half-closed curtains of the Gryffindor girls dormitory window, and while normally it would have been beautiful, it was irritating Lily at the moment by sparkling in her eyes.

"Ready for what?" Lily mumbled, half asleep.

"Your date, Lily!" exclaimed Mary. "You're supposed to leave in two hours!" She pulled the covers off of Lily, and strode over to the window, pulling the curtains all the way open, which incited another moan from the red head.

"That's two hours of sleep I could've had," muttered Lily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She spotted the clock a few paces away, and it read 9:37. She usually woke up early, but the thought of having to go home and be subject to Petunia's repulsion with her again had made it hard to fall asleep, and she had gone to bed later than normal. The train from Hogwarts left at noon on Monday, the next day, and Lily wasn't at all looking forward to going back to Cokeworth.

"We're going to make you look like a princess," said Marlene, entering the room with a few sparkly tops in her hand. Lily's eyes widened slightly.

"Mar, I'm not wearing anything with sequins! I'll just wear jeans and a T-shirt, or something,"

Lily said, swinging her legs off the bed and letting her toes brush the floor. Yawning slightly, she shook her head lightly to clear the grogginess that was still hanging over her.

"You're no fun," said Marlene, dropping the clothes on the floor and shooting Lily an annoyed glance. Lily stood, and crossed the room to the window. Looking outside, she saw the shimmering lake, and a few students splashing around in it, though she couldn't tell who from the distance she stood. Behind the water there were hills, and a border of trees marked the beginning of the Forbidden Forest. Beyond that, there were mountains, but anything that might have lied past them Lily couldn't quite make out. The sun bathed everything in golden light, illuminating the grounds, and Lily felt an overwhelming surge of gratitude that she was able to come here for school, and that the universe had chosen her to be a witch.

"Lily!" shouted Marlene, and Lily's head turned to meet the two irritated girls waiting impatiently by the bed.

"Sorry. Sorry," said Lily as she walked over to them. "You can dress me up now."

It took a full forty minutes for Marlene and Mary to decide what she would wear, only to have Lily shoot it down and wear her casual clothes instead. What she did let them do was her makeup, though she made them promise to keep it subtle. They, for the most part, kept to their agreement, though Lily felt it was somewhat dramatic. She put her hair in a ponytail, and by the time they had finished she had just over ten minutes to walk to the entrance, where she said she'd meet Markus.

She left the dormitory and climbed down the stairs into the common room, entering to see the mess that remained of the last night's party. Cups were strewn across the floor, bits of food were scattered among the plates and couches, and a few students were still passed out. Pursing her lips, she paused. She knew she should probably go down and meet her date, but she really hated leaving the room in such a disorganized state, because she knew it would likely stay like that until they all left for summer holiday.

Quickly, she pulled out her wand and used it piled the dirty cups into a neat pile by the door, and rounded up all the crumbs and put them on a plate. There was nothing she could do about the sleeping students, though. All of the sudden, James's head popped up from behind the couch, his hair even more disheveled than normal, his glasses crooked, and his eyes dazed. Clearly, he was hung over.

"Evans," said James sluggishly. "Only you would clean at this ungodly hour."

"Potter," said Lily, crossing her arms. "It's nearly 11:30 in the morning!"

James raised his eyebrows. "Your point?"

She just sighed, uncrossed her arms, and climbed through the portrait hole.

She walked quickly through the hallways and down the staircases, occasionally having to stop as one of them moved. When she reached the entrance, Markus was there waiting for her.

"Lily!" called Markus, waving to her. "You look beautiful."

Lily blushed, and they started out towards Hogsmeade. "Thank you. So do you. Er, I mean, not… er, beautiful. I— I mean you don't look _not_ beautiful! You look handsome!" she stammered, growing redder by the second.

He was grinning ear to ear, and he laughed lightly. "You're adorable…."

This only made Lily become, somehow, even more red. The rest of the walk to Hogsmeade was pleasant enough; they talked about O.W.L.s and what they were going to do over the summer, until they reached Madam Puddifoot's. Lily had never really cared for the place, with it's frilly, tacky, and sickly pink decorations, but their tea was all right and it was a spot couples frequented very often, so she let Markus lead her inside.

A bell tinkled softly over her head as she entered, announcing their presence, and they spotted an empty table and went to sit. The round little table they chose was adorned with lacy napkins and china sugar bowls.

"Sorry I asked you out on the last day of the year," Markus said. "I'd been too scared to have to face you afterwards if you'd've said no."

Lily smiled. "Oh, it's fine." She stared into his eyes, which she determined were almost turquoise. "Sorry for being really awkward earlier…."

He chuckled, and shook his head. "No, don't apologize! I thought it was really cute!" She looked down at the table, blushing once more, and fiddled with one of the fancy napkins. Before she could respond, Madam Puddifoot approached their table.

"Good morning, dears! May I get you anything today?" she asked, smiling. Madam Puddifoot was a stout woman with a shiny black bun, and she wore a small pink apron embellished with the words "Tea Time". Once they had placed their orders with her and she had waddled away, they continued talking.

"So I heard Gryffindor threw quite the party last night," said Markus. "No really. I think I could actually hear it from the dungeons!"

Lily cracked another smile. "Yes, I think I still have a migraine, " said Lily. "There was even an attempt to, er, _persuade_ Dumbledore into coming."

He looked her for a beat, slightly confused by what she meant before putting up his hands in surrender. "I don't even want to know."

"So, Markus," said Lily.

"So, Lillian," said Markus.

"Why'd you use my full name?" asked Lily.

"'Cause you used mine. Most people just call me Mark," replied Markus.

"Oh… well, then, Mark. Tell me about yourself," said Lily.

"Let's see… I'm 6' 1", I'm Seeker for Slytherin, the best house, I love The Blibbering Humdingers… what else? My sister's in Hufflepuff? Most people don't know that," said Markus, listing the things on his fingers.

"Right, okay, three things. One, clearly _Gryffindor_ is the best house. I'm not sure what sort of rubbish they've been filling your heads with down there. Two, what the bloody hell is a… bliddering hungdinger? And three, I think I did know that. Sacharissa, right?" said Lily.

"I'll answer those backwards. Yes! Sacharissa Prosser is, contrary to what she'd like to have the school believe, my sister. She likes to distance herself from me, so I figured no-one saw that we look practically identical. The Blibbering Humdingers are a band. My favorite band. And last, but most certainly not least, that's a load of hippogriff shite. _Obviously_ Slytherin is the best house — why'd you think we keep winning house cup?"

They playfully bickered back and forth until their tea arrived, at which point the discussion switched to Lily.

"So what about you, Lily? What are some things about you?" asked Markus, sipping his tea.

"Me? Well, for one people keep telling me I'm too invested in my marks, but you could probably tell that the first time you looked at me. Er, I suppose I like The Rolling Stones — that's a band as well. I dunno what else to say. I'm afraid I'm rather boring," said Lily.

"Aw, I wouldn't say that! You're just… straightforward. Uncomplicated."

"Boring, you mean?"

"No, no. I didn't say that!"

"Yes. You expertly avoiding directly saying that," said Lily with a grin. She picked up her cup and took a few little sips, while he tried to backtrack. The conversation had it's ups and downs, and once they had finished their tea, they decided to go for a walk near.

They exited the tea shop, and started slowly making their way back up to Hogwarts, along the gravel trail.

"So tell me about these Blibbering Humdingers," said Lily.

"Oh, they're brilliant!" said Markus excitedly. "They're a wrock band and—"

He stopped them both suddenly, catching hold of Lily's arm. "Look at that," he said, pointing in front of them. Lily looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a beautiful stag standing only a few strides from where they were. It was looking directly at them, without blinking. Quite like a literal deer caught in the headlights. The stag slowly advanced towards them, and as it got closer, she saw it wasn't the two of them it was looking at. No, it's eyes were only on Lily.

Markus must've noticed this too, because he leaned into her slightly and whispered, "D'you figure it's looking at your hair? It is quite like a beacon."

Lily didn't respond. She kept looking into the creatures eyes, as it continued to step towards her. She kept thinking it would stop and bound off, but it did not. It stopped just inches away from her, it's neck outstretched and it's nose almost touching hers. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Markus take out his wand, but he didn't cast a spell.

Lily thought she heard a faint noise, though she couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly, and the stag's head turned abruptly towards it, immediately backing away from Lily and bowing it's head. A few more seconds passed, then it turned, and trotted into the woods. She stared after it, and Markus put his wand away.

"Well, that was… strange," concluded Markus, and they started walking back to the entrance again. Lily was distracted, though. There was something vaguely recognizable about the stag, but she couldn't figure out what, exactly, it was. She only noticed they had reached their destination because they stopped, and he turned to her.

After a few beats of silence, Lily spoke. "This was fun! Would I be mental to ask for another one?"

He gave her a goofy smile, and stepped a little closer, wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her closer. "It's not out of the question." He leaned in, and their lips met. He tasted of herbal tea, and Lily's stomach turned upside down. It was a quick kiss, Lily could tell he was nervous, but she liked it. When he pulled away, his face was as red as Lily's felt, and she tucked a stray piece of hair back into her ponytail.

"Well, then," Lily said, trying to compose herself. "To be continued next year?"

"Definitely."

-::-

When Lily reentered the Gryffindor common room, it was almost empty. Save for a few pupils reading or doing homework, there wasn't anyone in there. She climbed the stairs to the dormitory, hurrying over to her bed. She pulled her trunk out from under it, placed it on her sheets, and flung it open. She still hadn't packed, and if she wanted to be at dinner on time, she needed to get started.

It was nearly time to go down to her last fifth year feast by the time she'd found all her missing socks and tucked them inside her trunk. She flipped it shut and, with some difficulty, managed to shut it. She descended back down to the common room to find it completely devoid of people, and slipped through the portrait hole. When she got to the Great Hall, the food had already arrived, and the students were digging in. She quickly walked over to where her friends were seated, and squeezed in between Dorcas and Mary.

"How was it?" asked Marlene from the other side of the table.

"Huh?" said Lily as she began loading her plate full of delicious looking food. "How was what?"

Marlene rolled her eyes and elaborated. "The date! Give us all the juicy details!"

Lily stabbed her fork into a large piece of chicken and said, "Oh, right. It was nice. We went to Madam Puddifoot's and he kissed me at the end."

Dorcas scrunched up her nose. "Don't you hate that place?"

"Well, yes. But it was still nice…."

After dinner, they made their way to the carriages, trying to secure one without other people in it. They succeeded, and spent the ride talking about summer plans. They arrived at the train a few minutes later, and they captured a compartment, again to themselves.

"So, Lily. What are you going to do about Petunia?" asked Mary, making herself comfortable on the cushion.

Lily sighed. "I dunno. Mum wrote me about a week ago, and she said that she had to practically order Petunia to stay for the summer. I… I don't know why she hates me so much. It' s not my fault I'm like this," said Lily sadly. No matter how awful her sister was to her, or how angry that sometimes made her, she could never hate Petunia. Lily was sad that Petunia saw her as a horrible freak, but still, she loved her sister.

"Don't let that prat get to you, Lily! She's just jealous," said Dorcas angrily.

"Oh, hush, Dorcas! Lily doesn't need you flinging insults at her sister, she needs advice," scolded Mary, and turning her attention back to Lily, she continued. "Just be kind to Petunia, and eventually she'll come around. She's got to…."

Lily nodded her head absent-mindedly, lost in her thoughts of how to right her relationship. The train lurched forward, and they were on their way to London. Lily watched as Hogwarts faded into the distance, and had just closed her eyes to try and take a quick nap when their compartment door was pulled open.

"Evans? Ah, there you are," said a familiar voice. Her heart sank, and she turned to find James at the door. He was bracing himself against the door frame, his tie hanging loosely knotted around his neck, and his shirt wrinkled. "Can I talk to you? Alone, just for a moment?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You want to talk to me, alone?" asked Lily suspiciously. She glanced at her friends, who were wearing the same confused expression she was.

"Yes. Just for a moment," repeated James.

"Why?" asked Lily.

"Er, just, come out here for a minute, will you?" said James, gesturing to the hallway outside the compartment.

Lily sighed. He probably wouldn't leave until she agreed to speak to him, so she caved and let him lead her outside. He pulled them into an empty compartment a few doors down, and shut the door behind them.

"Potter…" warned Lily, glaring at him.

"Relax, relax. I just wanted to say I'm sorry," said James.

Lily blinked. "James Potter is apologizing? For what?" she said patronizingly.

"For… everything. For Snape, for my entire personality. And for bothering you with my, er, proposals." said James.

"Well, thanks. I suppose." said Lily uncertainly. If he tried to flirt with her, she prepared to whip out her wand and jinx him to the next life.

"I do have one more, though," said James cautiously, leaning against the closed door.

"One more what?" asked Lily.

"One more proposition," said James.

"Potter, for the love of Merlin! Why can't you get this through your head? _I don't want to go on a date with you!_ " Lily shouted angrily, pulling her wand out from her robes, reading to use it.

He put his hands up in surrender, but was grinning. "While I like how you think, Evans, that isn't what I was going to say."

"It— it wasn't?" she said.

"Nope. I was simply going to ask if we could try being… friends?" he said.

She stared at him blankly. "You want us to be friends?" Lily repeated dully, trying to process the information.

"Yes. You know, so when you say my name it has a little less malice in it. Or, when we're paired up in class, your face doesn't don an expression that looks like you'd rather hang from the dungeons by your toes. Or, if you—"

"I know what friends are!" Lily snapped.

"Just making sure! So, what do you think? Shall we call a truce?" James asked, holding out a hand.

She eyed it skeptically, and said. "You know what else friends do? They don't flirt with each other. _Constantly._ And _relentlessly_."

"Padfoot flirts with me all the time," said James pointedly.

It took her a second to remember that Padfoot was Sirius's nickname. "Sure he does. Listen, I'll agree to this, but only if you agree to stop… _courting_ me."

"Stop courting you? Dunno, Evans, that's a hard one. How about if I just bring it down to once a day?" said James pushing his hand closer, and not breaking eye contact. Lily hesitated. She'd never had him agree to even quit the flirting for an hour, much less once a day. She might never get this opportunity again.

"Fine," she said, and shook his hand. His face lit up, and he pulled her into a hug. She pushed against his chest, trying to squirm free, but he had a tight hold on her.

"Potter! What did we _just_ agree on?" she said irritably.

"What? This is merely a friendly hug," said James, his hand slipping down her waist. She punched his stomach and he wheezed, letting her go. She raised her wand to his face and his eyes crossed, trying to keep the tip of it in focus.

" _Melofors,_ " she hissed, and a pumpkin appears around his head. Instead of being cross, he just laughed, and knocked on it with his hand. "Evans, where did you even learn that?" he said, his voice coming out muffled.

"Have a nice trip back to London, Potter," she said sweetly, brushing past him and back to her compartment.

* * *

 **A/N:** **I am _so_ sorry about that scene with Prosser. I'm absolute sh*t at writing romance scenes. Think of it as… practice! For when it really matters (Jily). And yes, _Melofors_ is a real jinx that "encases the victims head in a pumpkin". I thought it suited Lily. Remember to review! It really helps out, and I really welcome constructive criticism! :) The current plan is to tell the summer break in a series of letters, mostly between James and Lily.**


	4. Four: Summer Holiday

**Okay, so this chapter is in letter format (or at least the bulk of it is), and because FF won't let me put in my carefully thought out fonts, here's the code for when the letters start:**

 **Lily:** _Italics_

 **James: Bold**

 **Remus:** Underlined

 **Sirius:** Normal

 **Articles:** _Italicized and Underlined_

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Four: Summer Holiday_

* * *

Lily got off the Hogwarts Express, ran through the barrier and met her parents. They squeezed her tightly and showered her in "How was it, dear?"s all the way back to her house. When she arrived, she saw Petunia was nowhere in sight, and her parents informed her she was doing some shopping. Lily, slightly disappointed her sister hadn't come to greet her, trudged up to her room, and heaved her trunk up onto her bed, unpacking her things. She looked around at the room she called her own, and saw that it hadn't changed one bit.

The dull purple walls were still peeling at the corners to reveal the pink that had been there before, and her bed was still covered in the same green and pink checkered pattern she remembered. Her desk featured a lamp, and a small music box lay on her bedside table. It was virtually empty.

She wished she could have an owl, but Petunia threw a fit when she had brought one home after first year, and they had to get rid of it. The only way she could contact someone from the wizarding world when she was in Cokeworth was if they wrote to her first, providing her with an owl to send her reply back with.

After she'd gotten unpacked, stuffed her trunk out of sight, and slipped her wand into the usual hiding place where Petunia wouldn't have to see it, she descended the stairs for supper.

Petunia had returned by the time it was ready. The four of them; her mother, her father, her sister, and her, all sat around the table, and it was deadly silent.

"Petunia, dear," said her mother, clearing her throat and attempting to diffuse the tension. "Did you find anything nice in London today?"

Petunia nodded. "Yes. I found a nice blouse and some earrings."

"That's wonderful!" said her mother, a little too excitedly. "Perhaps you can show Lily the places you went to next time."

Petunia froze, fork halfway to her mouth. Lily winced, and prepared herself for a scathing insult. But, "Perhaps," was all Petunia said.

The rest of the dinner conversation was had between Lily's mother and father, with occasional questions about what had been going on while she was away. After they all finished their meal, Lily helped her father with the dishes.

Lily's father, John, had been diagnosed with lung cancer two years before Lily had started at Hogwarts, and it had steadily gotten worse. He had always made a point to come and say goodbye to her when she left for the train, or to greet her when she came back, but it took a toll on him. He needed a wheelchair to go out in public, and the Evans family had a few major scares while she was in school. He seemed better in the summer, when both his daughters were home, even if they were fighting.

Right as the two of them were putting the last of the silverware away, Lily heard a scream. Petunia's screech echoed through the house, sending chills down her spine. Lily's head spun around, and her body quickly followed suit. Before she knew it she was sprinting towards the noise, taking the stairs two at a time.

Lily came to a halt at the top of the staircase, trying to pinpoint where exactly the scream was emanating from. She decided it was coming from her room, and she burst in. Sure enough, she found a screaming Petunia, her eyes fixed on something out the window.

"What?! What is it?!" Lily screeched, reaching her sister, and glancing to the window. Petunia raised her shaking hand, and pointed to a dark object hovering just outside. Lily ran to her wand's hiding place, whipping it out and spinning around to point it at the window. This, of course, only made Petunia scream louder. Carefully, Lily crept to the window, trying to make out what the shape could be. A claw reached through the darkness, and tapped on her window.

Lily's whole body relaxed as she realized what it must be. Shooting her terrified sister an annoyed glance, she opened the window, and a small black owl flew in, landing on the back of her desk chair.

"Petunia," Lily said, unamused. "It's just a bloody _owl._ "

"Tha— that _thing_ could've killed me!" she whimpered, as her mother came running into the room as well.

"What is it, what is—" her mother began.

"Just an owl, mum," said Lily, inspecting the small creature.

"Oh," said her mother, looking relieved. "Petunia! You nearly gave your father and I a heart attack."

As her mother gently scolded her sister, Lily went to remove the letter the owl still had clutched in it's hand. "Sorry, but I haven't got any owl treats," murmured Lily as she stroked the top of the owl's head, and slid the parchment out from its claws.

" _Owl treats,_ " hissed Petunia, looking revolted. "So this happens on a regular basis? This is how all the vile little friends you have from that horrible school send you mail?! No! No I don't want to hear your defense for her, mum! How can you not see that this freak show needs to be kicked to the curb, along with all the other magic scum she goes to school with!?"

Lily just stared at her sister as her mother, looking livid now, dragged her sister away. She felt the teats spill onto her cheeks, but no sobbing came. She stood, silently crying, staring at the place Petunia had vanished from sight, still holding the letter, until the small little owl nipped her finger.

"Oy!" cried Lily, pulling her hand out of pecking distance, and bringing it closer to her face to inspect the damage. A sizable peck mark had appeared, and was now running with blood. She glared at the animal, and hurried to the bathroom to get it cleaned up. Once the bleeding had subsided, Lily felt unbelievably tired and, throwing the letter onto the desk and completely forgetting to let the owl out or change into her pajamas, collapsed onto her bed and drifted to sleep.

-::-

Her dreams were filled with huge, ominous creatures with talons the size of her head, and as hard as she tried, she couldn't get the scream that filled them out. She was sure Petunia was in trouble, but every time she tried to help her, her sister refused Lily's assistance.

When she woke in the morning, the letter was nowhere in her mind, and not wanting to deal with a hungry owl, she let the small creature back outside and it flew into a nearby tree in search of food. The letter was so far from her mind, in fact, that she managed to go a whole week without remembering to pick it up and read it. Her sister did everything in her power to avoid her, and when they did have to be in a room together, refused to look at her.

Finally, after lying in bed crying, Lily saw the owl tap the window. It had been doing that periodically, as if waiting for a reply. Suddenly, she remembered the letter, and let the owl in as she pick it up from her desk. Curious, and desperate for a distraction, she unfolded it.

It read;

 **Dear Lily,**

 **That feels weird. Hello, Evans. There, much better. How's your summer holiday been so far? Mine's been brilliant! Me and Padfoot went to Azkaban with my father (Visited only, don't worry.), and he said that he bet he could escape. Doubt it.**

 **How about you? Do anything fun? Probably not, seeing as I'm not there. And because I know you'll want to know why I wrote you, here's the short answer; you haven't been getting your daily dose of Potter shenanigans! That just can't be allowed to continue.**

 **Moony's told me that he talked to Marlene just the other day, and that you and her went to some sort of sport match. Foot Ball, I think. Come to one of my Quidditch matches, they're much more exciting!**

 **You don't happen to get The Prophet, do you? Well, in case you don't I'm pleased to inform you I was on the front page! Now you can say you're friends with someone famous. No, but really. I got my own paragraph and everything, right on the front!**

 **James. Er, Potter, I mean.**

 **P.S. Sorry if the owl's bitten you. He's new. I remember you saying you don't have an owl, so just send Rowlf back with your response.**

Her heart sank. James Potter was the last person she wanted to talk to at the moment, and he could not have chosen a worse time to send his owl. Lily looked over at the owl, which was again perched on the back of her chair, cleaning his feathers. _Rowlf,_ she thought. _Of course Potter would name you a bloody owl pun._

Deciding the only way to get rid of both the unwanted writer and the owl was to send a response, she wrote back.

 _Potter,_

 _I've been doing fine without my usual dosage, but thank you for your concern. (Please note the sarcasm.) You went to Azkaban with Black? I thought The Ministry would never come to their senses. Too bad they let you out._

 _Why were you and Remus talking about my whereabouts? Football also happens to be, for your information, quite lovely! Quidditch is far too complicated._

 _No, I don't get The Prophet, and I'm rather glad at the moment, as I'm sure you look terribly arrogant on the cover of it. Why'd you get put there, anyways?_

 _Oh, and stop writing me, you're the last thing I need right now._

 _Evans_

 _P.S. I cannot believe your poor owl is named after a pun. Rowlf. Honestly, Potter. Perhaps that's why he bites._

Not taking her hint, or perhaps simply choosing to ignore it, he wrote back, and a correspondence began.

 **Evans,**

 **Who's to say we didn't escape Azkaban, and I'm writing to you on the run? Moony and I were simply discussing what to do that day, and he suggested, what is it? Football? I asked why he thought of such a mundane activity, and he said he remembered you going recently. Football happens to be, as I found out that day, dreadfully boring. Quidditch _is_ far too complicated, but that's what makes it fun! :)**

 **You didn't answer my questions, Evans. What have you been doing (besides watching football.)? I know you must miss me dreadfully. How've you been coping?**

 **My mother made the lead page for "assisting The Ministry in bringing the convicted to justice", which is really just fancy phrasing for "here's a medal for catching the Death Eaters we accidentally let escape". I am their "youthful child", according to The Prophet. They had a field day with my Quidditch skills, as well.**

 **Potter**

 **P.S. Rowlf happens to like his name.**

 _Potter,_

 _I'm sorry the muggle world bores you. We'll try our best to better entertain you next time. (Again, sarcasm.)_

 _I just saw some of my old muggle friends from Primary School, if you must know. They're refreshingly ordinary, and we went and did exhilaratingly dull activities. That's not sarcasm. Going to the cinema has never been so magnificently boring, though I expect you not to know what that is. Ask Remus, because I don't feel like explaining. I've been doing just fine without you Potter and, as much as you'd like to believe that nothing good comes when you are gone, have been having a very pleasant holiday._

 _Your parents caught Death Eaters? Are they… I'm sorry. I can't seem to remember the word. Wizard Police?_

 _Oh, please tell me more about what was in that article, Youthful Child. It would give me every pleasure to hear what else they had to say._

 _And again. Stop writing me!_

 _Evans_

 _P. believe it when I see it._

 **Evans,**

 **I know what a cinema is! It's** —  Just to be clear, Lily, he did not know what the cinema was. I've told him, though.  — **Yes, well. I had an idea! Moving pictures, and all. I'm not sure what you're definition of a pleasant holiday is, Evans, but doing boring things isn't in mine. I'll have to show you what real fun looks like when we get back to Hogwarts….**

 **My mother is an Auror, my father is a Potioneer. Aurors are a bit like "Wizard Police", yes. What do your parents do? You may have to explain the jobs, seeing as my knowledge of muggle careers isn't, as hard as it is to believe, very extensive. I knew what a cinema is. I swear.**

 **The article, in it's entirety, attached below. (Well, only the important part. Me.)**

 _"James Henry Potter, son of Euphemia and Fleamont Potter, is currently attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and will be returning for his sixth year in September. The youthful child of merely sixteen has been praised for his gifts in Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Quidditch. When interviewed, the spirited adolescent told The Prophet,"I intend to become an Auror, like my parents, so that I can help to stop this era of viciousness." James has been recommended for multiple professional Quidditch teams, and there will most likely be scouts at Hogwarts to see him play this upcoming year. "He's really quite talented. Watching him play is like watching Merlin himself," says one of this closest friends, Peter Pettigrew. The boy seems to be, in every respect of the phrase, on a path to greatness. Hopefully, more articles shall be written about the Potter's good services in years to come, maybe even from James."_

 **I did say it was only a paragraph, though I think they did an excellent job capturing my majesty.**

 **Friends write to each other. We're friends now, remember? Or did you not hear me through the pumpkin? Is something the matter?**

 **Spirited Adolescent On A Path To Greatness (It's in writing now, so it must be true.)**

 **P.S. Evans, did you just make an owl pun? Next you'll be talon me you want to go on a date! ;)**

 _Potter,_

 _I knew you wouldn't know. Tell Remus I said hello, will you? Please refrain from showing me "real fun", as I'm quite attached to all my limbs. (No pun intended.)_

 _I'm afraid I don't know much about Aurors, though I have heard about a Euphemia Potter, and I did wonder if their was a relation. Your mother looks nothing like you. And, is that Fleamont Potter as in, Sleakeazy's Hair Potion? Please say yes._

 _My mother is a nurse. I assume you know what a nurse is, seeing as St. Mungo's must be a place you visit often. My father is a retired surgeon. Basically, he was a doctor._

 _Yes, I suppose we are friends. I would like to convey the begrudging tone I held when writing that last sentence somehow… this seems to have done it. If something were the matter, what makes you think I would tell you? We've only been "friends" for a few weeks._

 _Evans_

 _P.S. I'm not sure feather or not you're asking me out, making a pun, or both. To all I respond with; no._

 **Evans,**

 **How am I expected to know what sort of things muggles do in their spare time? Can you tell me what a Domino is? Didn't think so. And don't think for a moment me and Wormtail won't show you the proper way to ace a test when we get back. Let's just say it requires glue, a spare bit of parchment, a long stick, a handful of bowtruckles, and yours truly.**

 **There's really not much to know. They catch the bad guys, occasionally get hurt in the process, and are showered in praise afterwards. The perfect profession for me! Yes, my mother only gave me my eyes, and the rest of me imitates my father. Well, except for my ears, strangely. I have my mum's ears too. I admit, that is my fathers old business. You'll be delighted and surprised to know I've never used a drop. My locks are as beautiful as they come, and naturally, too. (I'm the whole package, Evans.)**

 **No need to sound that excited about our friendship, Evans. I get it, you adore me. ;)**

 **If something really is the matter, I will of course help in any way I can. Really, no joke there. I hope you're okay, Evans.**

 **Me and Padfoot are traveling to Romania to see the awesome dragons in a few days, so if I don't respond, just assume I'm burnt to a crisp. I'll tell you about them, if you like.**

 **Potter**

 **P.S. Sorry, but I did say once a day! I admit it was a little weak but, in my defense, I just had to wing it.**

 _Potter,_

 _You are aware that muggles invented Dominos, right? I can't tell if you're serious. (Yes. Ha-ha. Of course you're not Sirius. He his. Gets me every time. Every. Single. Time. Since first year. *sigh*) I can assure you I will not be doing anything involving cheating with you! And I don't even want to know what your plan entails._

 _Yes, it does sound like the perfect career. Simple, and an adoring crowd to coddle you along the way. Please don't think I'm disrespecting your mother, whom I'm sure is a lovely, hard-working woman (how she produced you, I don't know), that was meant to be a jab at you._

 _Perhaps you should start using some, seeing as you can't ever get your hair to be in the places it should be._

 _I most certainly do not adore you, Potter. Don't compliment yourself, it's not attractive._

 _I wasn't expecting sincerity from you, if that's what it really was. It's only my sister. She… never mind. It doesn't matter._

 _Romania has dragons? And they're going to let you and Black in? They must be mental! Perhaps your hair will stay in place if it's burned there. Yes, please tell me about the dragons!_

 _Evans_

 _P.S. Please beak careful in Romania._

Evans,

Prongs is currently dying of embarrassment, as even I knew that Dominos weren't an exclusively wizard toy, and cannot write to you right now. So I, his generous and noble friend Sirius will be telling you what's happening. I also must praise you on an excellent use of the Sirius/serious joke. Full marks.

We saw this wicked Hungarian Horntail the other day, and it had spikes and it singed Prongs! It was the best day of my life, seeing him screaming and running around on fire — **I did not run around screaming and catch on fire! Well, I did catch on fire, but I didn't scream. I'd get a new piece of parchment but this is the only one I've got left at the moment, so Padfoot's comments stay. The Horntail was brilliant, though! It was huge! And I did so know that Dominos aren't made for wizards only…**

 **My mother would probably agree with you, so don't worry about offending her. I welcome the insult with open arms. The disrespect you showed my hair, however, has left me outraged. Don't be surprised if I don't talk to you when we get back to Hogwarts.**

 **You really can talk to me if something's wrong. I'm not a monster, Evans. What about your sister?**

 **A Genuinely Concerned Potter**

 **P.S. Romania has been a hoot, but we're coming back tomorrow.**

 _Potter,_

 _I'll never let that go. Ever. It just made my day, actually, picturing you running with your arse on fire! That and the Domino bit. I'll hold it over your head forever._

 _What are you talking about? Your hair constantly looks like you've just come off a broomstick! You can't blame me for recommending a hair product to calm it down a bit._

 _I really am not sure how to write this. Or if I should be dumping my problems on you. But who knows? Perhaps you could actually be of some help. Miracles do happen._

 _My sister absolutely despises magic. When I come home I have to hide my wand, my trunk, and anything else that has even the most remote connection to the magical world. That's why I don't get The Prophet. And why I don't have an owl. I got one, once. In first year. Brought it home to show off, and Tuney screamed her head off about how she'll catch all sorts of diseases and stuff, so I had to get rid of it. Anyways, she's taken a liking to pretending I don't exist. She won't even look at me. It's not that big of a deal, really. It's just worse this time._

 _Evans_

 _P.S. I can picture hoo as an Auror._

 **Evans,**

 **Your sister makes you hide your magic? And made you get rid of your owl? Merlin, Evans. That sounds awful. She sounds awful. Who screams about an owl? They're perfectly harmless animals. (Stop looking at the bite Rowlf gave you. He's said he's sorry.)**

 **"This time"? Evans, does she do this every year? Make you pretend your a muggle for a few months?! And now she's pretending you don't exist, and won't look at you?! She sounds horrid, by the sound of it. Absolutely dreadful. How can you stand living there?**

 **Evans, really. Come do something with me. I'll take you somewhere — somewhere magical! Ever seen The Ministry? Wait, no. That's boring. Azkaban! Oh, no, that won't work either. They'll catch me and lock me up again. Darn. Oh! How about Mahoutokoro? Well, we couldn't go inside, but it's brilliant just to look at! It's the wizarding school in Japan. We could get you an owl, too.**

 **And because I'm immature and feel the need to cheer you up, I won't let two of the things you said slide.**

 **One: Picture me and my arse often, Evans? ;)**

 **Two: Miracles do happen. I mean, just look at me! ;)**

 **Potter**

 **P.S. Your sister sounds clawful.**

 _Potter,_

 _She's really not so bad. She…she gave me a card for Christmas last year, so… okay, fine. It's gotten a little out of control. But really, I'm fine._

 _It's you I'm worried about. Japan? Are you mental, Potter? Not all of us have inherited enough money to buy out N.A.S.A.! More importantly, though, I don't think I could survive an entire trip with you. I can barely contain the urge to march over to your house and rip your head off right now, and I rolled my eyes a total of 4 times your last letter (that's an all time low). Besides, we go back to Hogwarts in a week._

 _One: Piss off, Potter._

 _Two: It_ is _a miracle that you can form a sentence without complimenting yourself._

 _Evans_

 _P.S. Can you believe I've been thinking of these on the fly?_

 **Evans,**

 **She sounds like a right prat to me. You deserve better. How can the same parents produce such opposites? And, a Christmas card. Really? Not even, like, a stupid vase or something?**

 **N.A.S.A? What's that? What's so insane about going to Japan with me? I'd pay, if that's the problem. I think it'd be nice.**

 **That's right, we do leave in a few days. Guess this is my last letter, huh? (For now. Don't think that at Christmas you'll suddenly become letterless.)**

 **One: Alright, I deserved that.**

 **Two: It's hard sometimes, being this amazing.**

 **Potter**

 **P.S. I salute your pun game, Evans. Until the 1st, I bird you adieu.**

Lily grinned at his words as she read his last letter. She hadn't expected to enjoy talking to him so much, yet she felt herself get excited whenever she saw the little black owl fly towards her window.

James seemed different on paper. Whether that was because he had changed over the summer, or he had more time to think about what he was going to say before sending it, Lily couldn't be sure. All she knew is she didn't hate the James she'd been talking to over her holiday. In fact, she might even like being friends with James, if that was how he really was.

As Lily hastily pulled her trunk from under her bed, sent the little black owl back to James with nothing written on the parchment except "Until nest time, Potter.", and began packing her new school books and supplies into it. She had gone to Diagon Alley with her friends the week before, and picked up everything that the list she'd been given contained, plus a little extra.

As Lily hauled her trunk into her father's car, and her parents drove her to the train station, she couldn't stop thinking about seeing James. Would his hair be longer? Would the singe marks from the Horntail have faded? What would he do when he saw her? Wink? That was what he normally did. What —

"Lily!" said her father, looking back at her from the passenger seat of the car in amusement, and snapping Lily out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" said Lily, trying to remember what he had said.

"I said, 'Are you excited for another year at Hogwarts?'" repeated her father, turning back around and chuckling.

"Oh!" said Lily, blushing slightly. She'd been distracted by… _Potter?_ How strange. "Er, yeah! We learn apparition this year. It's a bit like teleporting."

"That sounds difficult!" her mother commented from the drivers seat.

"Mhm. It's supposed to be. We have a big test on it and everything," said Lily.

"Well, I'm sure you'll do great, sweetheart!" said her father enthusiastically. "Promise you'll write us?"

"Of course!" said Lily reassuringly. "I'll send you some things from Zonko's, too. I know you like their knickknacks."

Lily and her parents chatted all the way to the station. Lily tried to block James from of her mind, but occasionally she would think of another owl pun, and she'd grin ear to ear.

But when she got to Platform 9 3/4, James was nowhere to be found. Lily said her goodbyes to her parents, and boarded the train. She quickly found Mary sitting in a compartment alone, and slid in next to her.

"Lily!" Mary squealed, pulling her in for a quick hug.

"Hi, Mary," said Lily, taking a seat next to her friend. "How was your summer?"

"Oh, it was amazing! I went to New York with Dorcas, and it was so funny to watch her jaw drop at all the muggle things we found…."

Mary told her all about her summer activities until Marlene and Dorcas showed up, at which point they all started swapping stories. Lily, having done nothing particularly noteworthy over the summer, didn't contribute to the storytelling, but chose instead to simply listen to her friend's tales. The train pulled out of the station, and they were on their way to Hogwarts they had told each other about their various adventures, they turned to her.

"You haven't told us what you've been up to, Lily," said Marlene, popping the last of her chocolate frog into her mouth.

"Me? I haven't done much of anything. Just sat at home, mostly," admitted Lily, tightening her tie, and smoothing out the wrinkles of her robes.

"We went to that, er, Ball game together," said Marlene.

"The football match? Well, okay then. Me and Mar went to a football match," said Lily with a small smile. What was it with wizards and football? They just couldn't seem to get the name quite right.

"Oh, come on! You must've done _something_ interesting," said Marlene.

Lily laughed. "You found it boring, too, then? Why? I think it's quite entertaining to watch!" said Lily.

"Sorry, it's just not my cup of — hang on. Too? Who else did you bring to a game?" asked Marlene.

"Er, no one. I just… never mind. It's not important," said Lily unconvincingly. Her friends exchanged looks, but before they could speak, the compartment door slid open. Lily's head turned, already knowing who it was.

James.

* * *

 **A/N: To anyone who gets the NASA reference, I love you. To those of you who don't: get out your computer and search "A Very Potter Musical". You will not regret it. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. It feels a little forced, but I really didn't want to write about Lily's boring summer. It had to be boring, so James could be there to cheer her up.**

 **Owl be grateful if you'd consider reviewing, following, or favoriting! ;)**


	5. Five: You Break You Buy

**Same as before:**

 **Lily:** _Italics._

 **James: Bold.**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Five: You Break You Buy_

* * *

Lily's head turned, already knowing who it was. But it wasn't James. It was Severus. And he looked at Lily with such an intensity that she was surprised there wasn't a hole burned through her skull. He was skinnier than Lily remembered, and she recalled that often his mother would forget to feed him. She felt a sliver of pity for him worm its way into her skin, but she quickly exiled it upon reminding herself what he had said to her.

"Sev? G-get out," she stammered, trying to collect herself. She hadn't forgiven him. She never would. He'd been trying all summer to talk to her, and was one of the reasons she stayed up in her room the entire holiday break — she'd been avoiding him like the plague.

"Lily, please! I just need to talk —"

"No! Get. Out," she said, no trace of doubt in her voice.

He hesitated by the door, as if going over his options. It was clear as day that Lily had no intention of speaking to the greasy Slytherin boy, but he was determined to talk to her. He furrowed his brows slightly, and opened his mouth to say something, but a large boy knocked him off his feet before he could get the words out.

"Stop bothering Evans, Snivellus," cautioned a deep voice. Lily looked past the oily heap now collapsed on the train's floor and saw the voice belonged to Sirius. He had his wand raised, and was looking at Severus with an expression of pure revulsion. Severus scrambled back up, and quickly raised his own wand.

"Careful, Black," countered a disheveled Severus, "You've no idea what I could do." He spun on his heel and walked briskly away as Sirius glared after him. No spell came from his wand, though, which he was now lowering and tucking back into his cloak. He and the rest of the Marauders slid into the girls' compartment, cramming themselves in the small spaces between the already seated passengers. Mary got stuck between the wall and Peter, while Marlene was sitting on the small boy's other side and Remus. Sirius and James, and Lily suspected they had planned this, squeezed themselves on either side of Lily.

"Brilliant," she wheezed, as Sirius rested his feet on Remus, who shot him a glance before looking back down at his book, and James put his arm around Lily and ruffled his hair with the other.

"Can you believe him?" squeaked Peter, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "Er, what did he want?"

"Doesn't matter what he wanted. He's got no right to even _look_ at you," said James, looking livid. "After what he did… I don't know why Dumbledore keeps the Slytherins around at all. Nothing good comes from them."

"Thanks, mate," said Sirius, pointing to himself and flashing James a grin. Lily vaguely remembered hearing that Sirius's family were all Slytherins save himself, and that the Blacks were one of The Sacred Twenty-Eight, though the latter she wasn't sure of.

"Er, sorry to interrupt," said Marlene, giving Lily a confused glance. "But, uh, we hate you lot. Get out of our compartment. We can take care of Sniv— er, Snape, ourselves. Sorry, Lily."

Lily snorted. "Call him whatever you like." She'd been opposed to the mocking nickname before, but now that they'd had a falling out, she barely refrained from calling him that herself. Marlene looked to the Marauders, gesturing to the door.

"Haven't you heard, McKinnon? James and Lily are mates now. And that makes us mates with Lily, which makes us mates with you," said Sirius, grinning at Marlene.

Marlene gaped at him, and Lily recalled that she'd been too distracted by the thought of having to face Petunia to tell her friends about her and James's shaky truce on the train ride home last year. Marlene turned her accusatory glare to Lily, and the rest of her friends followed her lead.

"Right. I knew there was something I was forgetting to tell you," said Lily guiltily. "In my defense, I only signed up to be friends with Potter. There was nothing in the contract about the rest of them tagging along," Lily said irritably.

Without looking up from his book, Remus smirked. "We're a package deal."

"I knew I should've read the fine print," murmured Lily, and both Sirius and James chuckled. The trolley came round at that moment, and the entire compartment made to buy some of the treats it was selling. Once they had all settled back down with their candy, Lily studied James in a manner she hoped was inconspicuous. His hair was a little longer, but there weren't any burn marks she could see left from the Hungarian Horntail he had allegedly encountered over the summer. Then again, he had probably used magic to heal them, so there wouldn't be any marks left anyways if that was the case.

"So. What did you lot do on your holiday, then?" asked Dorcas, beaming at Sirius as Lily took a sip of the syrupy candy she'd bought. Dorcas had fancied the long haired boy since third year, but since he was James's best friend, he had been strictly off limits. However, with James and Lily being on better terms, Lily assumed she saw this as a cue to try and flirt with him.

"Let's see," said Sirius, raising his eyes to the ceiling, holding up his hand and listing as he went. "Can't speak for the rest of them, but for me, well… Millie McSorely, Ingrid Spinnet, Emma Clearwater, Constance Ellesmere, Adelia Meliflua, Morgan Askew —"

Lily spat out her drink and stared at Sirius. He smirked and said, "Impressed?"

"Er, Morgan Askew isn't a girl," said Lily, raising her eyebrows. Not only was he not a girl, but Askew and Lily used to date, and had been the one to attempt to grope her.

"I'm aware, Evans," said Sirius matter-of-factly.

"You're gay? But, all those girls…" said Dorcas, failing miserably at keeping the disappointment out of her voice. Of course, her comment only made Sirius grin wider. At this point, Remus had looked up from his book, an expression of mild interest on his face.

"The term is bisexual, Meadowes. So don't worry, there's still hope," he said, winking at her, popping an Every Flavor Bean into his mouth, and then promptly spitting it out, muttering, "Liver, really?" under his breath.

"You…" said Lily, thinking it over. She'd always just assumed he was straight. In hindsight, however, Lily wasn't sure how she could have missed it. He was always flirting with… everyone. "Potter, you weren't kidding about him flirting with you, were you?" Lily said thoughtfully, but before James had a chance to respond, Sirius laughed loudly.

"Can you blame me? A fit bloke like Prongs? Evans, at any given moment I'd be fine with ripping his clothes off and shagging him on the spot, no questions asked," said Sirius, fishing around in his box of beans in an attempt to find a good one. James let out a bark of laughter, and he was clearly used to Sirius's coquetry.

"If I was gay, Padfoot, I'd rock your world," said James. "But, seeing as I'm not, I'm afraid I'll have to pass."

"I'll recover," said Sirius, feigning a look of sadness. "Besides, I'd much prefer Moony." Remus sighed and looked back down at his book.

"This again?" said Remus.

"Moony, don't knock it 'till you've tried it," said Sirius with a wink. "Or rather, try it _by_ knocking it, if you know what I mean."

"Padfoot, you do know I'm not gay, right?" asked Remus.

"Eh, it was worth a shot," Sirius said with a shrug. "Now, may I finish my list, Evans?" He said, looking at Lily with his eyebrows raised. Lily sighed, and rolled her eyes.

Sirius smirked. "Excellent. Right, so… ah, yes. Morgan Askew, Conor Daley, Katerina Hobbes, Kieron Kelly—"

"You did not shag Katerina Hobbes! She's been off limits for _years!_ " said James disbelievingly.

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too!"

"Did _not!_ "

-::-

After Dumbledore gave his welcome speech, the food had been served, and the plates had been loaded, Lily sat again between Sirius and James's squabbling, and she could take no more of it.

"Will you two _shut it!_ " she said, elbowing the both of them in the ribs. A grunt could be heard from Sirius, and James let out a surprised, "Oy!" Rubbing their sides, they went back to eating, uncharacteristically quiet.

"Is this what they're usually like?" Lily asked, and Remus and Peter nodded solemnly. With an exasperated sigh, Lily went back to eating.

"I think they're actually on their best behavior tonight, believe it or not," said Remus with a small smile. Lily put her head in her hands, seriously regretting the decision she had made to be civil to James. So far, the part she'd enjoyed most about the friendship were his letters.

"Hey, Moony. When is project Flora To Stag being put into action?" asked Sirius, his mouth full of the assorted food that he'd been shoveling into his mouth.

Remus's eyes slid to Sirius, and the boys grinned at each other. "11:34 am sharp, tomorrow. Be in position, Padfoot, or the whole plan could fall apart," said Remus mysteriously.

"Remus, you're a Prefect." said Lily steadily. "You're expected not to break any school rules!"

"Who said anything about breaking school rules, Lily?" countered Remus. "I was talking about a flower and a reindeer, that's all— oomph!" Remus winced, and Lily saw James's foot retreat from Remus's side of the table. She managed a quick look at James's face, and he was the only one of the Marauders who didn't look amused at Remus's words.

"A _stag_ is not a bloody _reindeer,_ " James said angrily, and Lily snickered. "What's so funny, Evans?" He said, looking at her.

"Sorry, sorry. You just seemed so… so personally offended," said Lily, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. "So insulted he mixed up Rudolph with a regular stag." He gave her a quizzical look at the name Rudolph, but Remus, Peter, and Mary all giggled with her.

"So," started Mary. "Did Markus write you over the holiday?" James looked up from his breakfast to stare intently at Lily.

"Markus _Prosser?_ " clarified James, and when Lily nodded he continued. "Why would _he_ write _you?_ "

Lily scowled, taking an irate bite out of her English Muffin. "We've started dating," she said. "Not that it's any of _your_ business, Potter."

Sirius choked on his juice, and Peter let out a little gasp. She looked perplexedly around the group, becoming increasingly irritated. James didn't say anything, and his expression turned from blank to turbulent in a matter of seconds.

" _Oh,_ " said James, soaking the word in as much animosity as he could muster.

"What's your problem, Potter? Am I not allowed to date Mark for some reason?" she asked, turning to him, her temper catching.

"Don't be ridiculous. I just thought you had higher standards than _Mark_ ," said James nastily.

Lily blinked. What was all her friends' problem with Markus? Her friends all seemed to reserve a ghastly hostility towards the boy, and Lily couldn't figure out why. He was perfectly sweet and kind to her! She was silent for a moment, as James returned to eating the last remaining bits of food on his plate. Then, keeping her voice as steady as she could manage, she replied. "Mark happens to be wonderful!"

James rolled his eyes, throwing his fork back onto his plate. "Sure he is," he said. Lily glared at him, and crossed her arms. The two of them refused to speak to each other for the rest of the meal, and kept shooting the other loathing glances when they thought their target wasn't looking.

Just as students were beginning to file out of the hall, she felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to find Markus standing behind her, smiling broadly down. She grinned, pulling him to her level and hugging him. He let out a small laugh, and kissed her cheek.

"How was your summer?" he asked, as she tried to push James further along the table to make room for him to sit down. He wouldn't budge, so she shot him an fuming glance, hoping he'd take the hint.

"Good! It was good. And yours?" inquired Lily, still pressing on James's arm.

"Brilliant! Though, it would have been better if you were there—"

"Why's this _Slytherin_ at the _Gryffindor_ table?" said James suddenly, cutting Markus off. He glared at Markus, who scowled petulantly back. Lily smacked James's arm and stood up, trying to extricate herself from both Sirius's and James's feet, which had suddenly wound their way around her own.

"Piss off, Potter! You too, Black," Lily growled when she nearly tripped over them. Almost immediately, their feet disappeared. She cursed them her breath as she gave Markus a proper hug.

They caught up, and Markus told her about how he'd gone to see France over the summer. They kissed goodbye, planned another date for the upcoming Saturday, and Lily made her way back up to the Gryffindor common room.

She slipped through the Fat Lady's portrait, quietly closing the door behind her. The room was full of friends reuniting, hugging, and chatting before they went to bed. She scanned the room for one of her best mates, but her eyes only landed on Sirius. Sighing, she made her way over to him. He was sitting on the edge of one of the big windows in the room, staring outward at the almost full moon. She sat next to him, but she couldn't tell if he knew she'd done so until he spoke.

"Sorry about Prongs," said Sirius, not making an other indication he knew she was there. "He… well, believe it or not he really does just want the best for you." Lily snorted, and the two fell back into silence. A few minutes passed, before Sirius said anything else.

"I'm fit, you know" said Sirius, giving her a side glance, but not moving his head. "I've got abs."

"Wha— congratulations?" said Lily, quite confused.

"Just… in case you were wondering. I couldn't 'stand to lose a few pounds', if that's what you think," said Sirius grumpily. He said it in a way that implied Lily had said this to him at one point, but as she racked her brain, she couldn't think of a time when she had.

"Er, well, good," stuttered Lily, unsure how to respond. They continued to stare at the grounds, which were bathed in a silvery glow emanating from the moon, in silence for several more minutes as the crowd of students dwindled and filtered into their respective dormitories. Sirius's face betrayed no emotion; he just stared blankly out the window, his back hunched and his hair falling into his eyes. He looked tired, and aged beyond his years. Then he turned, a small smile playing with his lips.

"Does Meadowes _actually_ fancy me?" asked Sirius, one eyebrow cocked. "Couldn't tell if she was genuine on the train or not." Lily didn't turn to look at him, or move her eyes from the tree line as she responded.

"Yes. Has since third year," Lily blinked slowly, and shifted her eyes to him, locking him with the most vicious glare she could muster. "But Black, she comes with a 'you break, you buy' policy." He stared at her for a moment, clearly confused, and she elaborated. "If you hurt her, I'll make you _pay._ "

"Ah, I see," said Sirius, before adding thoughtfully, "Evans, that was actually quite clever."

"I'm serious," said Lily.

"I know," said Sirius, not daring to make the joke.

-::-

The next day, she woke to find the dormitory already bustling with girls. She climbed out of bed, and hopped into the shower. After she'd dried herself, brushed her teeth, and slipped on her robes she made her way down to the Great Hall, where she found Remus, Peter, and Marlene already eating. She plopped down next to her friend, and served herself breakfast. Eating quickly, she was done by the time the rest of her mates came rushing into the hall, desperate for food before it was taken away, and watched them eat in amusement. They just managed to slide some food onto their plates before it vanished, and they gobbled up what they had. Eyeing Remus's spare piece of bacon, Sirius tried to snatch it from him, but his hand was caught by Remus's quick reflexes.

"I might've even given it to you if you'd just asked," chastised Remus, releasing Sirius's hand and picking up his bacon.

Sirius opened his mouth excitedly to say something, but with a glance at the four girls sitting at the table, reconsidered and sulked in his seat.

Lily stood and began making her way to Potions, her first class of the day with her friends, the Marauders trailing loudly behind them. When she entered the room it looked exactly like it had the year before, save the "Advanced Potion-Making" textbooks lying on every desk. Lily chose a spot at the front, Mary selecting the seat next to her. James, who had been previously making his way towards Lily, upon realizing the seat next to hers was taken, reversed and chose the seat next to Sirius, at the very back of the room.

"Welcome, students. I trust by this point you all know what class this is? Good," said Professor Slughorn, who had been standing at the front of the room. He unclasped his hands and started roaming between the desks, inspecting his new sixth year class.

"All of you have received at least an 'Exceeds Expectations' in your Potions O.W.L. last year, and shall be moving on to study things like Amortentia, Veritaserum, Polyjuice Potion, and more. Let's begin with an Elixir to Induce Euphoria," said Professor Slughorn, clapping and returning to the front of the room. He paired people off one by one to begin making an Elixir to Induce Euphoria, and Lily was partnered with Remus.

The two set to work immediately, retrieving the cauldron and working quickly and quietly to brew the potion. Once they had reached a point where it needed to simmer for a few minutes, they relaxed into their chairs.

"There, that should do it," said Remus, sprinkling in the last of the ingredient and turning up the heat underneath the cauldron before flicking his wand, making a chair move across the room and settle in front of him. Taking a seat, he leaned back, put his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes. Lily looked around the room at the other students still chopping up ingredients and chatting blissfully with one another. James and Sirius were a few tables up from them, but instead of working on their potion the two were flinging Doxy Eggs at the back of Peter's head, snickering when he turned around to find no-one behind him. Lily rolled her eyes at the boys' immature behavior. Further along the room, Mary and a girl with dark brown hair, whose name Lily couldn't recall, were working side by side, and just past them Marlene and Dorcas were working gregariously, chatting to each other and to the people around them.

"Lily," said a voice from behind her, and Remus's eyes snapped back open upon recognition of the voice.

"Severus," replied Lily, sighing deeply and turning to glare at the boy.

"Please, Lily," said Severus, his eyes betraying none of what he was thinking. "I'm trying to help—"

"Severus," repeated Lily, keep her voice steady and looking at him blankly. He closed his mouth again, and the pair stood silently, staring at each other. " _No._ "

Remus looking between them, squirmed uncomfortably, and rushed to the cauldron's side to add the next ingredient a little early. With him working behind her, she started to turn and assist him, but Severus's hand caught her sleeve, pulling her back around to face him. She whipped her arm away from him, taking a few steps back. A look of anguish crossed his face, but it quickly turned into rage. His eyes flickered towards James, who was still bothering Peter, and then fixed back on Lily.

"Fine. Have it your way," he spat. "Don't come sobbing to me when—" he stopped mid-sentence, apparently having reconsidered what he was going to say, glared one last time at James, who had turned to look at the exchange, and spun on his heel, walking back to his table where Mulciber gave her a seething look before turning and talking quietly with Severus.

After a few moments of silence, Remus turned to Lily. "Right. I think I understand why it says to wait two and a half minutes _exactly_ now," he said, pointing to the cauldron, which was emitting a very unpleasant smell and a faint humming noise.

Grateful for the distraction, she hurried over to the angry liquid, which had changed from the lovely shade of green she had seen it as before into an agitated vomit color, and started trying to return it to the proper mixture. After adding a few other ingredients and calming the potion down, it relaxed back into what it was supposed to look like, and Lily stepped back, admiring her work.

"Thanks," breathed Remus, giving her a grateful smile.

Professor Slughorn walked over to their concoction, looking over what they had created. He raised one eyebrow and looked questioningly at Lily, who grimaced.

"It's not quite done yet, Professor," she said apologetically. "We got a bit, er, distracted. It won't happen again!"

"No, no, my dear. It's quite alright," Professor Slughorn reassured her. "I think you'll still have time to finish before _some_ students even begin." He aimed the last fragment of the sentence at James and Sirius, who gave him innocent smiles and scrambled to get to work on the brew.

By the end of class, while she and Remus had been chatting comfortably and watching others finish, James and Sirius had just barely managed to complete their potion. Lily rejoined her friends, and Mary told her about how she'd heard gossip that Katerina Hobbes and Patrick Snelling, a couple as of third year, were having trouble.

"What? That can't be. They're crazy about each other," said Dorcas in disbelief.

"That's what _I_ said, but Dahlia's just told me that she heard from Viola Chillip who heard from Sean Swindlehurst who heard from Katerina's best mate that Black wasn't the only git she shagged last summer," said Mary.

Marlene and Dorcas let out identical gasps, and Lily fought to keep a smile off her face.

"Oh, poor Patrick!" said Marlene, shaking her head in disappointment. "He's such a sweet bloke."

As they continued down the hallway towards their next class, Transfiguration, Mary told them all sorts of whispers she'd heard about the student body. Lily's favorite included a rumor that Hector Clearwater, a rather presumptuous Slytherin boy in her own year, had bought an elite fleet of racing dragons, and that his twin sister Emma had stolen and sold them in Knockturn Alley the very same day.

Once they all reached the classroom and seated themselves near each other, Lily saw, or rather, witnessed the Marauders come in. Peter had somehow acquired two fluffy pink rabbit ears since Lily had last seen him, and James's robes had turned an obnoxious shade of chartreuse. The class chuckled at their appearance as James sauntered over to the girls, an arrogant smirk plastered onto his lips.

"Hello, ladies," he said, his eyes never leaving Lily. Lily opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Mcgonagall walked through the room. She, too, had not changed since the year former. Her lips pursed in disapproval as she spotted the boys's new accessories, and with a flick of her wand they were not only back to normal, but flung into the empty chairs nearest to them. She walked briskly to the front of the room, turning to inspect her new sixth year class, just as Slughorn had done.

"Welcome to Transfiguration, sixth years," said Professor Mcgonagall. "This year we will be going more in-depth with the Vanishing Spell as well as Animagi, and I will teach you to do things such as the Bird-Conjuring Charm, Human Transfiguration…."

At that moment, Dorcas leaned over and began whispering to Lily.

"D'you think you could help me with the Vanishing Spell again, Lily? I think I've got it down, but just in case I'd like to practice before we're given an essay or—"

"Miss Meadowes and Mr. Potter!" snapped Mcgonagall. "Not five minutes into my class and you two are already talking. Switch spots, and I shall see you in detention tonight."

Dorcas swore quietly under her breath, but looked excited at the prospect of sitting next to Sirius. James picked up his bag, and made his way to Lily, plopping down in the seat to her right, leaning back in his chair. When James made no move to get out parchment to take notes, Lily used her wand to get some out of his bag, along with a quill, and placed it in front of him.

She started jotting down all the things Mcgonagall had said, so as to study them and get ahead, like she usually did. All at once, however, everything she'd been writing disappeared, replaced by only her last name, scribbled in a familiar handwriting at the top.

 **Evans.**

She looked annoyedly at James, but he was staring at Mcgonagall, seeming transfixed by the lecture she was now giving. Baffled, she looked down at the parchment, studying the handwriting. Perhaps it wasn't James's, now that she was looking at it. Then again, only a handful of people called her 'Evans'. She neatly wrote her reply.

 _Who is this?_

She glanced around the room, trying to determine if it was a student in the class who was writing her, but loads of them were taking notes, and she couldn't be sure it was any of them.

 **I'm a bit insulted you don't recognize my handwriting.**

She turned quickly to look at James again, but he was still paying her no attention. Even more perplexed, Lily took a quick look around the room again, before responding again.

 _Refresh me._

Determined to catch them this time, she swiveled her head as inconspicuously as she could manage around the room, eyeing every student's parchment suspiciously.

 **Stop investigating, Evans. I'm sitting right next to you.**

Lily's head snapped back to James. His eyes were still fixed on Mcgonagall, who was now pointing to an example of a the stages a werewolf goes through during the full moon, but a small smile had found it's way onto his lips, confirming what had been written.

 _How are you doing that?_

Studying him this time, she watched as his eyes flitted to the paper for a brief second, and his hand quickly scribbled his answer.

 **Doing what?**

 _That! You barely looked at what I said for a second, but you managed to write a coherent response anyways._

 **I spose me and Padfoot get a lot of practice. :)**

 _Spose isn't a word. Suppose is. So is s'pose, kind of. But "spose" isn't._

 **Well I** **suppose** **I should pay more attention next time.**

 _Please do._

 **Noted. Merlin, you look bored.**

 _Well, I am talking to you._

Lily heard James snort, and saw him reach up and ruffle his hair. This was the James she liked. Paper James. Paper James didn't make her uncomfortable, or give her the urge to smack him.

 **Ouch. Padfoot tells me Dorcas fancies him. That true?**

 _Yes, and I trust you lot not to go blabbing to the entire school. I hope Black explained the guideline…_

 **He breaks he buys.**

 _Good. Now, if you'll kindly return my notes, Potter, I don't want to miss this lecture._

 **Nah.**

 _Excuse me?_

 **I'll be lonely in detention. Dorcas is boring when she's in trouble.**

 _Great. What's that got to do with anything?_

 **5**

 _Five? Potter, you're not making any bloody sense._

 **4**

 _Four? What's the countdown to?_

 **3**

 _Potter._

 **2**

 _Potter!_

 **1**

 _Jam—_

"Miss Evans!" said Mcgonagall curtly from the front of the room, and Lily's head snapped up to meet her gaze, leaving the word half-written. The paper she'd been writing on slid out from under her quill, and soaring into Professor Mcgonagall's hands. The teacher looked over what was written, raised an eyebrow and looked over the top of it at Lily. "I'm sure you'll make a wonderful addition to tonight's detention. 8 o'clock, sharp."

Lily's eyes widened. She'd never been given detention. Not even when she showed up 20 minutes late for Defense Against the Dark Arts, having accidentally slept in.

"But—" Lily began.

"We'll make Evans feel right at home," said James, cutting her off and supplying her with a grin. She glared at him, crossing her arms and taking out a fresh piece of parchment to take proper notes on. Her rounds ended at seven-thirty, so she'd have to go straight to detention.

Scowling at her paper, she started furiously writing down all that Mcgonagall was saying. She'd nearly covered the paper when it was wiped blank, with James's handwriting at the top again.

 **Don't look so angry. It's only detention with Minnie. She's not too bad.**

 _Minnie?!_ _Minerva Mcgonagall ≠ Minnie. Potter, that's your Professor. You can't call her that!_

 **Not with that attitude you can't. ;)**

 _You're impossible. Return my notes!_

 **Nah.**

 _Don't make me hex you, Potter._

Her notes immediately reappeared on her paper, and she peered to her right to see James looking at her as well. When their eyes met he winked, and she frowned, turning back to her paper. It was certain; Lily much preferred Paper James.

* * *

 **A/N: I don't know about you, but I'm in love with the idea of Sirius being bisexual. Dunno, I think it just fits him. Only my opinion, though! :) That fact _does_ come into the storyline, by the way! I also really like the scene with Sirius and Lily. Don't know why, just do. Tell me what you think (hint hint review).**

 **Fun Fact: I was actually terrified to write Mcgonagall's dialogue. I want to do her character justice, but I don't think I'm clever enough to write her speech! That's why I kept 'em short. -fun fact (that, hey, actually turned out to be pretty boring) over-**

 **Next chapter should be up by Sunday.**


	6. Six: Detention With Minnie

**\- warning - I wrote this when I was sick so it may not make _any_ sense - warning -**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Six: Detention With Minnie_

* * *

Lily entered the common room still sulking about receiving detention. She scowled when she saw James, and Remus nudged him, causing him to look up and make eye contact with her. He grinned, and gave her the thumbs up. Lily pointedly broke eye contact with him, instead meeting Remus's mildly amused gaze.

"Remus," said Lily. "We have rounds in an hour."

"I know," replied Remus, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Right. Well, good, then," said Lily. "At six." She stood and watched him nod, lingering at her place by the door. She glanced quickly at James, who was still grinning widely, and furrowed her brows once more, marching over to a table near the windows. She pulled out her homework, took out a quill, and started on her Transfiguration. Mcgonagall had only assigned them two hundred words, but that could be credited to the fact it was the first day back.

She was nearly done with it when she heard Sirius's loud laughter from across the room. She looked up annoyedly to see Sirius had nearly fallen out of his chair, and was clutching his stomach. Lily quickly looked back down at her paper, trying again to concentrate. She'd written a few more lines before it was Peter's turn to go into hysterics, rather disturbing her from her homework again. She tried her hardest to ignore the noise, and went back to writing. That time, she'd only written a sentence or two before she felt something tickle the back of her head.

She ran her fingers over the spot absent-mindedly, returning to her work. It was only after a few more of them she realized it wasn't her hair doing the tickling, and turned around confusedly. She looked at the ground near her chair, and saw a number of small paper balls. She frowned, picking them up and unwrapping them. All she saw was her last name, written in small, tight cursive. She sighed, looking over at the Marauders' spot, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Even more perplexed, she turned back to her essay and finished it up, pulling the parchment down to look over what she'd written. Once Lily had checked and double checked for spelling mistakes, incorrect terms, and forgotten punctuation she rolled up it up and stuck it, along with her quill, into her bag. She checked the clock, and scrambled to put her bag upstairs when she saw it was nearly six. She practically ran to the hallway she was supposed to me her fellow prefect, and saw Remus patiently leaning against a wall, talking with Peter, his back turned to Lily. As she drew nearer, she heard snippets of their conversation.

"… don't want you lot doing this anymore!" said Remus.

"It wasn't that bad, really," said Peter. "It was only a scratch, and we're only trying to make it bearable."

"Exactly! Next time it could be a bite!" said Remus, raising his voice. "You don't know how much danger you're in every time you come, Peter. Dying would be a worse fate than… I could _never_ forgive myself for causing anyone to…."

"Remus, even if it did happen, you know it wouldn't be your—" he stopped, his eyes shifting to her. "Lily." Peter nodded his farewell, and scurried off down the hall.

Remus turned around slowly, clear anger in his eyes. "You're late," he said, stalking past her and starting off down the hall. His legs were longer than hers, so even after she practically ran to catch up, she was still on the brink of jogging to just remain next to him.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just lost track of time, that's all. I promise next time I'll—"

"Yeah, whatever," he said harshly, glaring ahead of him. Still struggling to keep up, Lily thought over the conversation she'd heard. Ever since they'd come up with their bizarre nicknames, she'd never heard any of the Marauders call each other by their first names again, so the argument they'd been having must have been serious. She tried to think about what could have made them so mad at each other, but when nothing came to mind she entertained herself thinking of everything 'next time it could be a bite' could possibly mean.

By the time they had looped around the seventh floor, he seemed to had calmed down, and had resorted to glaring at anyone out of bed while Lily did the scolding. She tried to strike up a conversation a couple of times, but he just shot her down with grunts or unamused looks, so she stopped attempting after the eighth try.

They circled the sixth and fifth floors before rounding back to the common room. Lily checked the clock again, and saw she just had enough time to make it to Mcgonagall's classroom before she would be late. She turned to leave, but it felt wrong to leave Remus upset, so she faced him instead.

"I'm not going to ask what the fight is about, or what in the world you were talking about, but I'd think after six years of knowing them you'd know better than to think they'd do anything less than die for you, Remus," said Lily evenly, looking him in the eye. He shifted uncomfortably, wringing his hands.

"That's what I'm worried about," he muttered, giving her a small smile. "Have fun in detention."

Lily scowled and, looking cheered, Remus retreated into the boy's dormitories after telling her goodnight. She set off down the stairs, taking them two at a time. It was bad enough she'd gone and gotten herself detention, but to be late would make matters even worse. She burst through the door mere minutes before eight, and looked around frantically.

The first thing she noticed was that James hadn't yet arrived, which she wasn't all that surprised by. The second thing she noticed was that Professor Mcgonagall also wasn't present, which was an anomaly Lily had never been presented with before. She was always in the classroom when Lily entered. And the third thing Lily noticed was that there were thirty elegant candlesticks on the row of desks. Unsure of how to proceed, she sat down in one of the chairs and waited patiently for the teacher to arrive.

After, and Lily had been counting, exactly seven minutes and forty-eight seconds, Mcgonagall walked briskly through the door, with a furious-looking James on her heels. Mcgonagall walked over to her desk, picked up a file and turned sharply towards the two students. While she did so, James threw himself down into the seat next to Lily.

"I'm very sorry to be late, Miss Evans," said Professor Mcgonagall. "Today you and Mr. Potter will be polishing the ornate candelabras you see in front of you. No magic, of course. You should be able to see your reflection by the time you're done. I was planning on assigning ten per student, but seeing as Miss Meadowes didn't bother to show up, you get the joy of completing her extra. You may go back to your rooms once you are done. Goodnight."

After she was done with the instructions, she walked over, collected their wands, and strolled out. Lily set to work immediately, grabbing the nearest candlestick and scrubbing.

"So where _is_ Miss Meadowes on this fine evening?" asked James grumpily, eyeing the dirty brass skeptically.

"Oh, er, well… I'm not sure. I thought she'd be here," said Lily. James only grunted in response, picking up the rag Mcgonagall had provided to clean with using only two fingers, holding it arms length and inspecting it with a disgusted look on his face. Lily snorted.

"What, have you never cleaned before?" she said.

"Of course I've cleaned! I've just never cleaned without… _magic,_ " admitted James, looking at the candelabra suspiciously again. Lily almost dropped what she was holding as she stared at him, and he offered an explanation. "I have house elves, so they do most of the cleaning, and every other time I've gotten non magic detention I've been able to snatch an extra wand."

Lily stared at him in shock for a few seconds. "So, you've never cleaned anything. You haven't even dusted, or something?" said Lily.

"No, the house elves do that," said James, and she scoffed. "What?"

"I… it's just so typical," said Lily, rubbing extra hard on a particularly determined bit of dirt.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said James defiantly.

"Nothing. It's supposed the mean nothing," sighed Lily, and she turned to him. "D'you want me to show you how to do it?" James nodded, and she set to work on teaching him the things she'd picked up over the years. They'd only gotten six done in half an hour, and by the time they'd even done that Lily's arms felt as if they were going to fall off.

She cut James off as he was complaining for the seventeenth time about the 'unbearable pain' he now felt in his arms. "Why were you so angry when you walked in here?" asked Lily.

James's face suddenly darkened, and he suddenly became very serious. "Mcgonagall suspended me from Quidditch practice."

"Oh! I thought it was something terrible!" said Lily, chuckling.

James gasped dramatically and stormed over to her. "It _is_ something terrible!"

"Tryouts haven't even begun, Potter! There's nothing to suspend you from. Actually, that's a fair point. What _did_ she suspend you from? Your broom drying process?" said Lily.

"She — my what?" said James, confused.

"Never mind, answer my question," said Lily.

"She didn't suspend me _yet_ , but she said if I get any more detentions she'll have to consider it," said James.

"So don't get any more detentions."

"It's not that simple, Evans. I'm a Marauder. I have a certain detention quota to meet, and the boss won't be happy if I don't deliver," said James, smirking.

"Sounds like a demanding job."

"I don't know how I manage to do it _and_ look this good!" he said with a wink.

"The broom drying process," muttered Lily under her breath, and this time it was her time to smirk.

He must have heard, however, because he responded with, "Okay, really. What is 'The Broom Drying Process'?"

"Oh, just how you get ready in the morning. Me and Mary worked it all out. You wake up, shower —"

"Been talking about me showering with your friends, have you?" He said, and grinned, leaning in closer to her and his hand darting to her waist. Her hand automatically reached for her wand, but upon meeting nothing but the fabric of her pocket, she went for the second best option. She slapped him across the cheek and he stepped back, rubbing his sore spot. "Alright, alright. I'm done. Continue."

"Very classy, Potter. You wake up, _don't_ shower, dunk your head in a conditioner bottle —"

"Wait, what?" he laughed.

"I don't know how else you'd get your hair to smell so strong."

"Ah. Another jab at my hair. Not appreciated, Evans."

"Then you won't like where this story is going. And stop interrupting me. Okay. Conditioner bottle… oh, right! Then you grab your broom and blow dry your hair in the most insane way possible; you get on your broom and ride around on it until it's dry. It's the only explanation as to how it gets to be that…." Lily said and trailed off as she searched for the right word.

"Beautiful? Dazzling? So stunning you want to snog me senseless right here and now, on this very desk?"

"More like you were just struck by a bolt of lightning."

James looked at her funnily, an odd expression she didn't quite recognize flitting through his eyes, before giving a nervous little laugh. "What a _completely_ false story."

"What a completely defensive response," countered Lily. "Potter, would you make me the happiest woman on earth and tell me that's _actually_ how you get ready in the morning?"

"Only if we get all the other perks of being married, " said James.

"Which would be…?" sighed Lily, and prepared her hand for another slap to be administered.

"Shagging rights," said James, catching her hand in the air.

"You're crude and disgusting," said Lily, struggling under his grip.

"No, you're dirty minded. I said _bragging_ rights," said James, grinning.

"No you did not!" said Lily, glaring at him and frowning.

"Yes, I did. But I'm not angry with you. After all, it's not your fault that whenever you're around me it's all you can think of," said James, leaning in closer again, and catching her other hand.

"In your dreams, Potter."

"Oh, you most certainly are, my darling."

"You're repugnant," Lily spat, trying to squirm out of his tight grasp.

"Breaking out the big words tonight, are we, Evans?"

"Get off!"

"What's the magic word?"

"Abra-bloody-cadabra!"

He looked at her in confusion and amusement, clearly having no idea what the term meant. She rolled her eyes, and used his bewilderment to break out of his hold.

"Ah, come on, Evans. One date! That's all!" he said, his eyes quickly shifting between hers.

"Just do your work."

"That wasn't a no!"

" _No._ "

"Who can really define the word 'no', though. I'm not sure I have a firm grasp on the concept," said James, trying to worm is way back around her.

" _Clearly_. What happened to our agreement? Once a day, remember?"

"Once a day. Never said for how long during said day."

"Oh, Merlin…."

By the time Lily and James finished the candelabras it was one in the morning. They could never get anything done; between his incessant flirting and her endless stream of insults, it was a miracle in and of itself that they didn't rip each other's heads off. When they finally got back to the common room, Lily went upstairs without telling James goodnight, partly because he wouldn't let the fact she had mentioned them married go and had insisted on calling her 'Ms. Potter' for the rest of the evening, but mostly because she just didn't have the energy for it.

She collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep without changing from her school uniform. She dreamt of an orange orchard, with enormous pine trees lining the edge of it. There was an old woman hanging up laundry on a clothes line next to a little cottage by the side of the orchard, who smiled at Lily and at something just behind her. She turned to find James standing a few feet a way, wearing the same funny expression he'd had before. She spent the whole night with him, but still couldn't quite puzzle out what exactly the expression meant by the time she woke.

-::-

At breakfast the next morning, James and Sirius were mysteriously absent. Peter and Remus claimed they knew nothing and Lily doubted that was the truth, but she also knew they wouldn't likely tell her if they did know something, so she let it go. They ate peacefully, all getting there on time and getting enough food to satisfy the rumblings in their stomachs.

"Where were you last night, Dorie?" asked Lily, chewing her eggs.

"In my bed! Are you insinuating that I wasn't in my bed because I _was_ in my bed!" Dorcas practically yelled, her face turning the shade of a cherry tomato.

"Merlin, calm down," said Lily. "I believe you."

"Really? I'm not sure it's clear where she was last night." asked Peter sarcastically, looking innocently to Dorcas. Lily often wondered why he was friends with the rest of the Marauders. To her, he more often than not seemed to be a sweet boy, uninvolved in the pranks the group pulled. It was times like this, though, that jolted her out of the fantasy. There was a reason he was friends with James, and Lily scowled.

"Shut it, Peter," said Lily. "I had detention last night with Potter. You abandoned me. _Alone. With. Potter._ "

Dorcas cursed, and banged her fist on the table. " _Right!_ Aw, I'm sorry, Lily! I completely forgot! Was he bad this time?"

"Guess how many times he hit on me."

"Oh no."

"Two hundred and sixty-seven."

"Really? That's a new record. Then again, that's also the longest time you were in the same room without your—"

"Why did you count how many times he flirted with you?" interrupted Remus, suddenly looking very interested in the conversation.

"It was bloody annoying, that's why," said Lily, taken aback by his question.

"So why didn't you ignore it?" inquired Remus.

"Because…," Lily had to stop and think of the answer, unsure herself why she'd counted. She was just bored, and she wanted to guilt Dorcas with it. She voiced her conclusions to Remus, who looked unconvinced. He went back to eating, looking more reserved than usual. Her mind began to wander and she ate, and it settled on something she might be able to finally get an answer on.

"What's The Sacred Twenty-Eight?" she asked, looking around at her Pureblood friends. Dorcas and Marlene exchanged looks, and the former cleared her throat.

"Er, nearly no one recognizes it as an official publication," said Dorcas, putting down her fork.

"Why? What is it?" asked Lily. "I went to the library but couldn't find anything. I even looked in the Restricted Section."

"Dumbledore removed it a couple years back," said Dorcas again, looking down and nudging Marlene.

"Okay, fine. _What is it?_ " said Lily, getting irritated that her question was being avoided.

"It's a sort of list," said Dorcas slowly.

"Brilliant. What kind of list?" said Lily expectantly.

Dorcas shoved Marlene again, and she too dropped her utensil and met Lily's hard stare. "It's a… compendium of the truly Pureblood families. Ones that haven't been, er, 'contaminated' with muggle blood," stammered Marlene. "A lot of wizards think Cantankerus Nott published it."

"Oh," said Lily, not sure how to feel. She'd always experienced some amount of animosity toward Muggleborns, but never had she heard of someone going so far as to compile a list of only those 'pure enough'. "Who's on the list?"

"I haven't got it memorized, but off the top of my head…," said Marlene as she thought for a moment. "Well, Slughorn, Black, Malfoy, Lestrange, Longbottom… who else… oh! There's also Travers, Weasley, Avery, and Gaunt. That's all I can remember."

"Is Potter not on there?" asked Lily. She thought his family would have made the list, since he's a Pureblood. "And, does that mean there's only twenty-eight Purebloods in England? That can't be right, I know more than twenty-eight…."

"No, it's not enough to just have two magical parents," said Remus, staring at his food and looking rather uncomfortable. "Your whole family has to be Pureblood. As in, Padfoot marries a Pureblood, and his cousin marries a Pureblood, and his great-great-great-great niece marries a Pureblood too. It's a stupid idea, and one that can't be maintained. Prongs didn't make the list because Potter is a common muggle surname, so Cantawhoever must've thought he wasn't _truly pure_." He spat the last few words out with so much venom the group was stunned into silence.

It remained that way for quite awhile. They sat in silence, thinking over what they had heard. Lily had to agree with Remus. It was an idea that couldn't be sustained. Someone, somewhere in the family tree was bound to break the chain, and if it only took one to throw them off the list, then it was inevitable. Lily thought it over, and realized something horrible as she opened her mouth to ask.

"Does that mean they have to _inbreed?_ " asked Lily tentatively. Remus looked up from the eggs he was pushing around with his fork and stared at Lily intensely.

"Sometimes," Remus said quietly. "Only Twenty-Eight choices, after all." Lily felt sick, and pushed the rest of her breakfast away.

"That's…." started Lily, but she couldn't come up with a good enough word to describe how horrified she felt. She couldn't imagine living in a environment that taught you it was okay to marry a cousin, all in the name of blood purity, and suddenly felt a pang of respect for Sirius. How did he stand it, living in a house like that? And how had he not turned out as horrible as Avery, or Malfoy?

She thought about it all the way to class, where she found James and his puppy of a friend were still missing, and she began to wonder where they could be. The most likely answer was pulling a prank, but they usually didn't make their absence from class to do so as obvious as it was that day. Dismissing the issue she sat down next to a Hufflepuff girl who had straight, short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Slughorn once again paired them off, and Lily happened to be put with the girl she was already sitting by.

The girl, who Lily remembered was named Bethany Barker, turned out to be quite chatty. She spoke about anything and everything one could talk about, and Lily ended up doing most of the work. Not that she minded; the girl probably would have messed it up anyway. One thing she said, however, caught Lily's attention.

"Some of the Slytherins have been giving me dirty looks recently. I know it's because I've just broken up with Silenus Penrose, but I really don't see the need to—"

"Who?" said Lily, her head snapping towards Bethany and dropping what she'd been doing.

"Silenus Penrose. Sweet, but far too clingy, if you ask me. I prefer someone who knows when to—"

"No, no!" said Lily hurriedly. "Who's been giving you dirty looks?"

"Oh! Avery, Mulciber, Snape, Travers, Spinnet, and both the Clearwaters. Did you hear that rumor about the dragon racing team—"

"Me too!" exclaimed Lily, relieved she wasn't the only one getting glared at in the hallway.

"What?" said Bethany. Lily had to stop herself from smacking the girl.

"I've been getting glares from Slytherins, too! Most of the same people, though Spinnet has been nothing but kind to me," explained Lily.

"How odd. What d'you suppose they're angry about?" said Bethany thoughtfully. Lily thought hard. Most of the Slytherins that shot her glares hated Muggleborns, but Lily couldn't be sure if that was the case until she confirmed that Bethany was, too, a Muggleborn.

"Er, Bethany," said Lily, and Bethany's clear blue eyes slid back to meet Lily's. "What do your parents do?"

Bethany responded immediately because, Lily determined, she loved to talk. Especially about herself. "Mum's a Secondary School teacher, and Dad's a pilot. Both muggles, though people have been warning me not to go around saying that—"

"Perhaps the Slytherins are glaring because we're Muggleborns," said Lily, interrupting her again.

She was silent for a moment, however brief of a moment it was. "Yeah, you could be right. I overheard Millie McSorely and Adrian Woodcroft talking about it too, and unless I'm mistaken I believe they're Muggleborns as well! Oh, Lily, you're brilliant!" she said excitedly, clapping her hands and jumping off the ground a few inches.

"Well, I don't know if there's anything we can do about it. Or anything _they_ can do about it, but I do think that's why they don't like us," said Lily.

"The only Slytherin to show me kindness was Roddy, just the other day he let me copy his Astronomy notes. He's cute, Roddy is. Perhaps I'll ask him out. What do you think? Can you picture us together? I can! Oh, it's decided!"

Lily tuned out again, resuming her work and finishing the potion, again before anyone in the class. She thought about what she'd learned, and decided to keep an eye out for any other students complaining about stares from Slytherins. Professor Slughorn came over when she'd completed the brew and dismissed Lily and Bethany early. Lily thanked him and said goodbye to Bethany, making her way to the library. Few students were in the hallways, and she often found herself to be the only occupant of the halls.

She arrived at her destination and entered to find Markus sitting in the corner with his friends. Upon hearing someone come in he looked up and saw Lily, waving her over and making room beside him for her to sit. She obeyed and walked quietly over to where the group was sitting. She made herself comfortable beside Markus, leaning into him and grasping his hand. He kissed her hello and introduced her to his friends.

"This is Silenus and Ingrid," Markus said, pointing to his friends in turn. "This is Lily."

Silenus was a short boy, with light blond hair he cut almost to his scalp, and his nose wasn't quite centered on his face. Freckles covered his cheeks and Lily spotted them overflowing on to his hands. He had dark brown eyes, and Lily couldn't see why Bethany had chosen to date him. He wasn't an attractive person, but Lily tried not to judge too harshly, especially before she knew him at all.

Ingrid was almost the complete opposite. She was tall and easily the skinniest girl Lily had ever seen. A thin nose fit perfectly onto her face and was paired with colorless eyes. Grey and almost clear, Lily noticed she didn't close them often, and she got the sense that Ingrid was trying to have a staring contest with her. Her skin was flawless; not a single blemish or freckle to be found, and her straight black hair reminded her of Dorcas's, though it had an unnatural shine to it. Ingrid was gorgeous, but only if you looked long enough. Not enough time and you wouldn't notice that her teeth were perfectly aligned, or that her porcelain skin nearly glowed.

All at once, Lily realized she'd been talking about both of the people she'd just met, and felt a rush of guilt. Silenus Penrose and Ingrid Spinnet. She repeated the names over and over in her head, not wanting to forget them and go through the embarrassment of having to ask Markus again.

"Hello," said Lily giving them both a small smile.

"You _do_ have pretty hair," said Ingrid, her voice a notch higher than Lily had expected.

"T-Thank you," stammered Lily. "Yours is beautiful as well." Ingrid nodded her appreciation and went back to doing the homework she'd been working on.

"So you two crazy kids are dating?" asked Silenus in a very poorly executed American accent. Lily laughed nervously, and Markus shot him a look. Silenus laughed and continued in a mocking tone. "Lily and Mark sittin' on a toadstool, K-I-S-S-I-N—"

"Very creative, Sil," said Ingrid without looking up.

"Shut up," said Silenus. "No scolding in front of Mark's _girlfriend!_ "

Lily and Markus glanced at each other. They had written to each other a few times over the summer and gone to London a few times more, but still hadn't discussed if they were actually a couple.

"Now you've gone and hit a sore spot," said Ingrid monotonously, as Markus and Lily went to a quieter corner of the library to speak in private.

"So, er, _am I_ your girlfriend now?" asked Lily, shifting her weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

"If you, er, want to be," said Markus.

"Do _you_ want me to be?" said Lily.

Markus turned bright pink and mumbled, "Yes." She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him.

"Me too," she whispered. They kissed for quite a while after that, and when they returned Silenus kept giving Markus amused glances. She spent the rest of her time before break with them, finishing her Charms homework before packing up her bag and heading down to the spot in the grass out in the lawn that she and her friends usually met at. When she arrived, she found Mary and Peter sitting together, which was odd considering the Marauders didn't usually join them for break.

"Hello, Lily," Peter greeted as she sat down next to them. Lily saw that Mary was helping Peter revise his Charms assignment, and helped him, too, until he was satisfied with the end result. Just as he was putting away his things, a voice spoke from behind them, making Lily jump.

"Miss us, Evans?"

She put her face in her hands and massaged her eyes as two boys sat down in the grass near her. Sure enough, when she opened them she saw James and Sirius had joined the small group.

"Can't say I did," said Lily with a sigh, lying down in the grass on her back, hands behind her head. Lily knew better than to ask them where they had been; they wouldn't tell her if it was related to some sort of prank. She closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of the lake and fresh air. She caught a strange whiff of wet dog, and sat up immediately. She looked around suspiciously, recalling the last time she'd encountered a wet dog had been when the large group had pushed her into the lake.

"What's wrong?" said Mary, looking concerned.

"Nothing, I s'pose," said Lily. "Do you smell wet dog?"

"Actually, Evans," said James, smirking. " _Spose_ isn't a word. Suppose is. _Spose_ isn't."

"Ha-ha. Very clever, Potter," said Lily, throwing him an irritated glance. "Really, though. Don't you smell it?"

She looked past Sirius, who had seated himself closest to her, toward the forest, but couldn't find anything that looked even remotely like a dog.

"Back up, there. Hit the _pause_ button," said Peter, and Sirius chuckled. James cracked a smile, and gave him the thumbs-up. "Wet dog, you say?"

"Yes…," said Lily, trying her hardest not to roll her eyes.

"You can't possibly be _serious,_ " said James, grinning wider, and Lily's efforts failed.

"Nah, mate. I ' _ear_ Evans takes this stuff to heart," Sirius added, and Lily shot Mary an unamused glance.

"Oh _dear!_ " said Peter, who fixed his gaze on James, earning a hearty laugh from Sirius.

"Sorry to _rat_ you out" said Sirius, this time staring at Peter, and it was James's turn to chuckle.

"Some of those didn't even make sense, Potter," said Lily, looking at James intently.

"All in good time, Evans," said James. "All in good time."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that this isn't a very good chapter; I've been ill. Stay-in-bed-with-a-bowl-for-barf ill. I wrote the first draft of this during that phase and it was hilariously incoherent, so I only had a few days to put this together. It's just been bread and chicken noodle soup for the past couple days, and it still might be unreadable or have an unbearable amount of mistakes in it, and for that I am sorry. Blame the sickness daze (which I'm not entirely sure has been lifted yet!) *cough* *sniffle* *cough***

 **Tell me what you thought! :)**


	7. Seven: I'll Catch You

**Reviewing helps more than you can imagine! Thank you to all that have done so as of now; you've been so kind and supporting! 3**

 **-** ** _CALL ME ON MY BS_** **! I've been ****_trying_** **to use British terms, but… it feels clunky and awkward. So! If you're from England (or even if you're not, and just think of better way to phrase something in any of the chapters)** ** _please_** **either DM me or include it in a review! Also, anyone know any other words for "player" that don't sound so… cliché and American?-**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Seven: I'll Catch You_

* * *

By the end of the week all the sixth years had received no less than fourteen essay assignments. All of them were assigned on Friday, and all of them were due on Monday, much to their dismay. Lily had tried to use the library to finish them, but it was so crowded she couldn't find anywhere with a hard surface to work. She also attempted to use the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall, but she ran into similar issues there. She'd even tried the dormitories, but the house elves had kicked her out, mumbling apologies and explaining that they needed to clean. Giving up, she grabbed her textbooks, parchment, and some ink and quills, and stuffed them unceremoniously into her bag. Lily headed outside to try to work.

As soon as she stepped out the door she shivered, wishing she'd brought a scarf but not wanting to waste more time by going back to retrieve hers. Lily hurried over to a grassy area and sat down, dropping her bag by her side. A few other students had the same idea as her and had come to work outside, though most of them had enough foresight to wear proper cold weather clothes. She slid out a few of the textbooks and some parchment, and set to work on the essay she'd been having the most trouble with; Arithmancy.

She'd just finished the last sentence when something landed near her, making a small "thud". She jumped a small bit, and the paper slid out from under her hand, coming to a stop in the grass. She turned to see a Quaffle lying in the grass a few paces away from her, and wondered where it had come from. Suddenly, a large gust of wind came rustling through the trees, blowing Lily's hair in her eyes and, to her alarm, lifting her paper from her side and flinging it into the air.

"No!" she screeched, jumping up and whipping out her wand to point it at the piece of parchment now so high it was nearly a speck. " _Accio! Accio Essay!_ Oh, come on! _Accio!_ "

But it was no use. She couldn't even see the paper anymore, and she was too distraught to think of another spell to get it down. She stared blankly at the sky, cursing the wind and the Quaffle for wasting an hour of her time. She threw herself back down on the ground and put her head in her hands. An _hour_ of work. One whole hour of good work was now probably caught somewhere in a tree branch, never to be seen or marked. She pondered briefly why her spell hadn't worked, and pointed her wand at the ball.

" _Accio Quaffle,_ " she muttered grumpily, and sure enough, it came flying towards her. Lily caught it just before it connected with her face, letting out a small shriek. She vaguely recalled one of her professors telling her something about making sure to specify the object or else it couldn't bring the thing you wanted to you, but she was too annoyed to care all that much. Turning the Quaffle over in her hands, she studied it. She'd never actually seen one up close, and they were much harder to hold than she had previously thought.

"I'll need that back now, Evans," said a voice from above her. Lily gasped and her head snapped toward the noise. It was James, hovering a few yards above the ground on a broomstick. He was wearing his Quidditch uniform, and a long red winter cloak over it with his last name embellishing the back of it. He, too, had remembered to bring a scarf. Taken aback by his sudden appearance and still slightly distracted by her essay's departure, it took her a moment to respond.

"Er, right. Sure," she said, standing again and stepping back so as to get a better look at him. She'd never seen him in his uniform before. And though she'd been to a few Quidditch matches, she'd never been to one of his, because she thought it would annoy him. Which it did.

She tossed the ball into the air, but she realized it was going to fall short of his grasp. She made a move to try and catch it to throw again, but James swooped down and caught it with one hand. Lily stopped in her tracks as he passed the ball to his right arm and wedged it between his bicep and ribcage.

"Why thank you," said James, smiling.

"Mhm…," Lily said distractedly, examining him again. He looked good in his Quidditch attire, and she noticed that his hair somehow looked even more wild than it usually did. His glasses were missing, and a pair of goggles that had been pushed onto his forehead took their place.

All at once, she noticed he was smirking, and she realized she had been staring at him. _Brilliant,_ thought Lily. _Just what he needed. An ego boost._

"Like what you see, Evans?" he said, raising one eyebrow. He leaned back on his broom, and letting go of the handle, he swung upside down so their faces were almost touching and gave her a toothy grin. His breath smelled like mint, and Lily almost thought twice before punching the Quaffle out of his hands. His reflexes were quicker than she thought, though, and he caught it before it hit the ground. "Nice try," said James as he righted himself. He cocked his head to the side and looked her up and down once before adding, "Here."

He unwrapped his scarf and dropped it down to her. It landed in a pile beside her, and she picked it up, eyeing it suspiciously.

James chuckled. "Relax. You just looked cold."

"Yes, but it's even colder up in the air. Have it back," said Lily, holding it back up to him.

"Evans, are you _worried_ about me?" asked James, scooting a little higher when Lily tried to throw the scarf up to him.

"Take the scarf, Potter," said Lily, still trying to figure out a way to get it back to him.

"I appreciate the concern," said James. "But you'll catch a cold just sitting down there in the chilly air."

Lily reluctantly stopped trying to jump to catch his broom, and let the scarf fall onto her bag. "Fine," she said. "Hang on! You're the reason this Quaffle flew over here?"

"Me? Not me specifically. Paley hit it too hard. Why?" said James, looking curious. Lily huffed and sat back onto the grass, yanking out her next assignment and readying her materials.

"Have I done something?" he asked, amused. His broom dipped lower, and Lily saw a bit of his cloak out of the corner of her eye.

"Sod off. I'm angry," said Lily, opening her Charms textbook.

"And why's that?" asked James patiently. She heard the delight in his voice, and it irritated her.

"Go back to Quidditch practice, Potter. And if you see an Arithmancy essay in the trees on your way back, please return it," said Lily, writing her name on the top of the parchment.

"Evans, I'm just—"

"I know you won't be able to comprehend a word of it, but keep an eye out. Now go _away,_ or has your ego gotten so bloody large you can't get off the ground anymore?" spat Lily, throwing him an icy glare. It was silent for a few moments, and then she heard the noise of fabric moving and wind rushing. She peered over her shoulder and she saw him hurtling away with the recovered Quaffle, staying low on his broom. Lily thought it to be odd; he had a flirty or sarcastic comment for everything, but he'd chosen to just fly away. She watched him merge with the other small dots practicing on the field, then returned to her homework.

The end of the day could not have come slower, in Lily's opinion. All she did for the rest of the her Saturday was stay curled in a ball on her grassy spot, James's scarf wrapped tightly around her and working on the seemingly endless supply of papers. She felt bad about yelling at James, and intended to apologize later that night, but he didn't sit with them at dinner. In fact, many students were missing from the feast to continue with their studies, but Lily didn't think that's why the Marauders were skipping supper.

The Great Hall was quiet as they ate, as nearly everyone was exhausted from their homework. The first years were the only ones talking loudly, and the other pupils kept shooting them annoyed glances. Lily trudged up the stairs to the common room with Mary, Dorcas, and Marlene to find it was still packed with people. Without a seat in sight, they headed straight for their dormitories.

Unlike the common room, the dorms were nearly completely void of people. One or two lay asleep in their beds, and a few more were still up working. She planned to go straight to sleep, but when Dorcas approached her bed she paused. She'd been acting strange all week; elusive and secretive. It was very odd, and Lily hoped to finally be getting answers.

Dorcas stopped when she reached the foot of Lily's bed and hesitated, looking reserved. Mary and Marlene, upon noticing their black-haired friends' strange behavior, joined Lily's side and awaited Dorcas's explanation. Dorcas pulled them all onto the sheets and drew the curtains closed, so they were in a makeshift room.

"Dorie, is something the matter?" whispered Mary, a flash of fear dancing across her face.

"I know this may come as a bit of shock to you all," said Dorcas. She peered over her shoulder as if to check again if there was anyone listening in. "But I've fancied Sirius for a while." She gave them all expectant looks, as if anticipating them to be surprised by the news.

"And?" said Marlene. Dorcas looked astonished, and gaped at her.

"You _knew?_ "

"Of course we bloody knew!" exclaimed Marlene, disappointment showing in her face. "You followed him around like a lost puppy all of fourth year! You brought us in here for _that?_ "

"I didn't follow him around like a puppy," muttered Dorcas sulkily under her breath. "No, something else happened. And… well, I was going to tell you sooner! But, er, it's just with all the work the Professors have given us, and Lily's rounds, and Marlene! You've been practicing your defense spells, so—"

"Dorie, _what happened?_ " asked Mary, an impatient edge to her voice.

"Right. I didn't forget about detention the other night, Lily. Well, not at first," said Dorcas, shifting her eyes to meet Lily's emerald ones, and a triumphant smile graced her lips.

As Lily considered her, she scrunched her brows in confusion. "So, why weren't you there?"

"I was on my way down, but then Sirius stopped me. He told me that he'd been having trouble with…er, something. I can't remember what, actually. I just remember agreeing and following him back down the hall. But he kept looking over his shoulder at me through his eyelashes and—". Here she was interrupted by Marlene's snort, but Dorcas continued with the story as if she hadn't heard. And perhaps she hadn't. Lily noticed her eyes had a dazed look about them and her voice had become sickly sweet. "And playing with the hem of his shirt. Then he sort of just stopped, and being the twit that I am I walked straight into him, but he caught me. He was so close I could _smell_ him. Him, not his cologne, though that doesn't smell all that bad either. You know it, right? Like cedar and maple? It's magnificent, don't you think? It reminds me of the forest. Like he's just been outside doing who knows—"

"Dorcas! If you don't stop talking about what Sirius Black smells like and get to the bloody point I'll shred your Transfiguration paper!" disrupted Marlene, and Dorcas had enough sense to take her threat seriously.

"Calm down! I was setting the scene, that's all," said Dorcas, huffing.

"Scene set. Move on," said Marlene.

"Fine. He pulled me over to a tunnel and we snogged for some time," said Dorcas proudly, a smile filling her face. The girls stared, open-mouthed and silent, at Dorcas's pleased grin, unable to form a sentence. Lily was the first to recover.

"Congratulations?" she asked, unsure of what else to say.

She giggled. "Thanks. And I've got to say, that bloke knows how to kiss!" said Dorcas.

"Er, good," said Lily.

Sirius was known widely around the school as… peripatetic when it came to relationships. Lily had never bothered to know the details, but she had a basic idea of his beliefs. Among the most crude were "Hump and Dump" and "Go Hard then Discard", and she could never keep the look of disgust off her face when the terms were used in front of her. He didn't date; he was rarely with the same person twice, for that matter! He'd just about snogged or shagged everyone in school, but up until a few nights ago Lily had been proud of the fact that none of her friends were dim enough to succumb to his less than subtle tactics.

But she knew Dorcas better. As much as her friend would like to have to school believe that she didn't care for romance, she melted on Valentine's Day, and had a bookshelf full of romance novels. Lily'd gifted her all the Jane Austen novels and Dorcas bought anything with a heart on it. If Sirius used her, which Lily suspected he would, she would crumble.

But as her friend went on about how _magical_ the whole experience was, she couldn't bring herself to voice her doubts. Lily decided she'd talk to Sirius, and try to convince him to at least give dating a try. Her friends scolded her for not telling them sooner, and when Dorcas grew too tired to speak anymore, they carried her into bed, and then proceeded to collapse into their own. Lily was so exhausted she didn't bother changing into her dressing gown, and fell asleep with James's scarf still coiled around her neck.

She'd been having the same dream over and over again. She was standing with James in an orange orchard. Not talking, or laughing; just standing together, watching the old woman hang her laundry. James offered her an orange she took it, thanking him and eating it. And all the while, he had an unreadable expression on his face. It was the look he'd given her in detention, and even after five days of the same dream, she couldn't riddle out what it meant.

But this time was different; it was snowing. The pine trees surrounding the farm were covered in a thin layer of powder, and Lily was freezing. James unwrapped his scarf and offered it to her, but she slapped his hand away had looked at him in disgust. " _Go away,_ " she hissed, and a hurt look crossed his face before he vanished from the dream, leaving her alone and shivering with nothing but a red and gold scarf to apologize to. Lily began to struggle for breath. Each one shakier and more unsteady than the previous. The smell of the orchard and pine and laundry was choking her, killing her—

Lily's eyes shot open, and she sat bolt upright, gasping for air. Pulling at her neck, her hands made contact with the fabric of James's scarf covering her mouth and nose, and she yanked it looser, taking deep breaths and calming herself. She pulled the muffler off her neck, and lay back down in bed, thinking over her dream. She didn't have to think hard to know what it meant. She'd been horrible to him today, and felt like an absolute troll. What she was more concentrated on was the expression, since he had been wearing it again when he offered her the scarf. All she could be sure of was that it was an intense emotion. Something strong.

Her first instinct jumped to love, but she quickly pushed aside the idea. He barely knew her, after all, and up until the end of fifth year she had hated him. Who _loves_ someone who _hates_ them? Lily thought it to be a ridiculous idea, and dismissed it.

Lily's next idea was anger, but she had no real evidence to back it up. She'd only seen him wear the strange look once, and it was right after she made fun of his hair. He may have been upset, but absolutely enraged was unlikely.

The only other thing she could think of was sadness, but she hadn't a clue why he could be so depressed. He seemed happy. Too happy, most of the time, and much too arrogant. She'd never even seen him sad, so she expelled that theory as well.

She sat up again, reaching through the darkness until she found her wand. Her fingers closed around it, and she quickly slid her feet out of bed, letting them brush the cold floor. This time, she made sure to put on a bra. Looking towards the clock, she saw that it read 12:44 in the morning. Thinking over her options, she decided to descend to the common room, since she couldn't sleep and there was still a decent chance James was awake and downstairs. She heard the familiar creak in the third step, and continued quietly down the staircase. Peering around the corner, she saw Remus asleep on his textbook, wand still alight, and she smiled. Checking the rest of the room, she was disappointed when she didn't find James. Creeping over to Remus, she gently shook him awake, and he grunted, shifting his head and pushing her away sleepily.

"I'm not _fucking_ going, Prongs," said Remus. Lily eyes widened at the foul language, and she smiled wider. She'd never heard Remus swear properly, and it was oddly amusing to her.

"Calm down, it's only me," said Lily, pulling his wand out from between his fingers. " _Nox._ "

His wand darkened, and the only light source was the bright blueish haze the half moon supplied through the window. His head lifted from the table, and he blinked slowly. "You're not Prongs," he stated sluggishly.

"Brilliant observation. Here," said Lily, helping him to his feet and closing his book. "I can get you to your dorm, if you like."

He bobbed his head up and down once, and she slid her arm around his waist, letting him lean on her as she made her way up the stairs to the boys' room. He was heavy, and she bumped into the wall, but he tried to help her by standing. When they finally arrived at the door and reached the barrier Lily could not cross, Remus leaned against the frame, fighting to stay awake. Lily tucked his wand into his robes, and said goodnight.

She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to face him. "Sixth year DADA classroom," he mumbled. "You didn't hear it from me."

"Hear what?" said Lily knowing immediately what he meant and giving Remus a knowing wink. She'd always wanted to catch one of the Marauders in the middle of setting up a prank, but never had enough intel to do so.

He muttered his gratitude for her not telling them he'd ratted them out, along with a goodnight of his own, and closed the door. Before it had latched, Lily was off down the stairs and on her way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, wand and scolding tone at the ready. She walked as quickly and quietly and she could manage towards her targets, trying not to disturb the portraits on the walls. She reached the classroom and she allowed a small smile to fill her cheeks, excited by the prospect of catching them red-handed.

She flung it open and saw… nothing. Not one thing was out of place. All the desks were in neat rows, and the chalk was still sorted against the board. As a matter of fact, nothing seemed different in the slightest. Most importantly, she didn't see neither James nor Sirius anywhere in the dark room, and she let out a disappointed huff. Remus had sent her on a wild goose chase. She was just turning to leave when she saw a large, piece of parchment lying on the ground. She tilted her head as she inspected it, and bent to pick it up.

Straightening herself once more, she unfolded the parchment. It was an odd shape; extra bits of paper attached to random segments that confused Lily. Deciding she would rather be in bed than trying to work out a strange puzzle, she crammed it into her back pocket after her best attempt to fold it, though there were still excess bits of paper leaking from the sides. She made the long trek back to her dormitory. Once again, she fell soundly into her bed, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly tired, and slipped into unconsciousness without changing.

-::-

Lily woke from the snowy dream again at a more reasonable hour, and her dorm mates gave her funny looks when they saw her fully clothed figure emerge from the bed sporting large bags under her eyes. Dorcas and Mary were still sound asleep, and she decided to let them rest. She went down to breakfast after a shower and a change of clothes, her mood still somewhere between drowsy and contemplative. Her meal was a blur, and she couldn't recall anything about it once she'd left the Great Hall. She was in for another long day of working on her homework, and wanted to secure a spot in the library before they were all taken.

She found a seat next to a small red haired boy, and settled herself into it. Pulling out her supplies, she got to work immediately on her paper. She managed to get through a couple of them before she grew hungry again. By the time lunch came, Lily had entered a dazed state, and the only thing that kept her moving back towards the Great Hall was the promise of food. Her feet carried her to the usual spot she ate to see that the Marauders, in their entirety, had decided to join them. Lily decided she would wait until she and James had a moment alone to atone to her actions the previous day. The only spot left at the table was a small gap between James and Peter, which Lily only fit into after a considerable amount of squeezing and squirming.

The boys she sat with were oddly quiet, choosing to eat their food wordlessly and let Mary and Lily do the talking instead of the usual clever comments they made. Dorcas and Marlene were nowhere to be found, and she thought they might still be off somewhere working. By the end of her meal, Lily was thoroughly troubled by their silence, and addressed them directly.

"Right, spit it out," said Lily. "What's the matter with you lot?"

"How d'you mean?" said Peter from next to her, and her head swiveled to meet his timid gaze.

"How do I…? That's the first thing _any_ of you have said today! I've never seen you so quiet! Black, you didn't even comment when Mary said 'Are you serious?'."

"Didn't I?" replied Sirius in a detached voice. "Here; of course you're not. I'm Sirius. There you go."

"Try to contain your enthusiasm," said Lily sarcastically, and Sirius shrugged.

Remus sighed and answered her question. "We've, er, _misplaced_ our favorite toy."

"Our favorite _toy?_ " said James incredulously. "More like our blood, sweat, and tears! That was our _baby!_ " He put his head in his hands dramatically, but looked genuinely distraught.

"You _lost_ a _child?!_ " exclaimed Mary, spitting her juice onto Peter in shock, who recoiled from the liquid and let out a squeak of surprise.

"No!" corrected Remus hastily. "Merlin, no. Our _theoretical_ baby." As comprehension dawned upon Mary, James let out a melodramatic wail from between his fingers, and Lily had to suppress the urge to snicker.

"What is it?" said Mary, also looking mildly amused. "Perhaps one of us has seen it."

The Marauders gave each other quick sideways glances, and didn't answer her. Sirius shoved Remus, who tried his best to formulate a response. "N-no! Really we… we really don't…er, I mean you probably haven't, so it's, uh, it's no use saying."

"Smooth," muttered Lily, smirking. Remus's cheeks turned bright pink and he glared at Sirius for putting him on the spot.

"Uh, right," said Mary as James poured himself an enormous glass of juice and began to drink it.

"Merlin, Potter," said Lily in awe, as he finished it off and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

"I'm drinking to forget, Evans," said James wistfully, without a hint of humor in his voice. "It's too painful to remember."

Lily rolled her eyes and watched as he poured himself another cup. "So, how far have you lot gotten with your papers?" said Peter anxiously.

"I'm nearly done. I've just got to re-do my Arithmancy essay," said Lily.

"Re-do it? Why?" said Remus.

"Mine's in a tree somewhere," said Lily grumpily.

"What—"

"Right, that's the second time you've said that," said James, cutting Remus off and putting down his glass.

"Oh, good. You _do_ have ears," said Lily, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she readied herself to go back to the library. "Your bloody Quaffle spooked it." James let out a bark of laughter, and Lily glared at him. "Would _you_ like to rewrite my essay, Potter?" She stood up, her bag next to her on the table.

"There's nothing I want to do _less_ than write an Arithmancy essay, Evans," said James, grinning. "But I can do you one better. Come with me." He jumped out of his seat and grabbed her wrist, pulling her out of the hall excitedly.

"Oy!" she exclaimed as she tripped and nearly fell over. "My bag's still — slow _down_ , Potter!" James just threw her a mischievous look and continued to pull her along until they reach the doors that lead outside, and she managed to wriggle free. He stopped a few paces ahead of her and waited expectantly, his head cocked a bit to the side.

"C'mon, Evans," said James, and she felt a bit like a dog, being called and dragged.

"Tell me where we're going first," said Lily, crossing her arms and keeping her feet rooted to the spot. He smiled, put his hands in his pockets and without breaking eye contact he walked slowly towards her. She glanced around nervously; he had a plan, and she didn't like not knowing it.

"That would spoil the fun," he said teasingly, drawing nearer. Only a few feet away now, Lily took a few paces back, and his smirk grew. Somehow, he knew he was making her anxious.

"You think getting my lost essay will be fun?" Lily said, trying to work out what he was planning on doing. She continued to back up until her spine made gentle contact with wall behind her and she could go no further. He advanced towards her until she had to look up to keep his face in view. She hated that he was so much taller than her, and he knew it.

"Mhm," he mumbled, and his eyes trailed over her face, his smirk softening into a content smile. The hazel orbs wandered over her cheeks and nose, and dipped down to her lips. She could feel her heart in her hands, and she noticed for the first time how the flecks of green in his eyes sometimes turned gold with the sun's reflection. Clutching the hem of her shirt to steady them, she scolded her hands for shaking when they shouldn't.

"Why?" said Lily, keeping her voice level. He stopped studying her and met her gaze once more. His smile widened again and he grabbed her wrist. It was all she could do not to fall, and she had no choice but to follow his lead. "Potter!" she cried, as he tugged her onto the grass. "Let go! Give me my wrist back! Potter—"

"Evans, hush," said James, glancing back at her playfully. "I promise you'll like it."

"We _are_ getting my paper though, right?" clarified Lily, and James nodded. Once he was sure she wouldn't run away, he rather reluctantly released her hand, and she walked at his side. Though he was as tall as Remus, he didn't walk as fast, and so she wasn't out of breath just keeping pace with him.

They walked in relative silence, enjoying the sounds of nature with an occasional comment from James. Every couple minutes he would stray too close to her, most likely on purpose. Their hands would brush, and Lily''s eyes turned to him, so he'd pull away. Finally, they reached the Quidditch field after fifteen minutes, give or take, of walking. She turned to him, eyebrows raised.

"Wait here," said James, but she caught his sleeve before he could go anywhere. He turned back to face her, his gaze expectant. In the direct sunlight his eyes seemed to sparkle every time he moved them. It seemed when she looked at them she couldn't quite focus on what she wanted to say, so she tore her eyes away and looked at her feet.

"I just… I'm sorry. About yesterday," said Lily, looking at the grass beneath her shoes. "I shouldn't have said what I did. I was a complete prat to you and—"

"It's fine!" said James, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her speech.

"I-it is? But… I was so rude!"

James laughed, and removed his hand to ruffle his hair. "Evans, you've been insulting me for six years. I've heard worse! Besides, I think I rather deserved it. After all, I did lose you your essay."

"But _you_ didn't hit that ball!" said Lily and James only shrugged, though he looked positively elated that she had come to his defense. "Well, I'm still sorry."

"Unnecessary apology accepted!" declared James with a smile, and he turned again to resume his search. He disappeared inside a small wooden structure for a few moments before remerging with a broom. He beamed proudly at her, and she had to admit it was impressive. "Right, let's go get your paper."

She gawked at him. "I'm rubbish at flying!" she exclaimed, taking a few paces back and putting her hands in front of her protectively. She'd never managed more than five feet off the ground before she did something wrong and ended up in a heap on the ground.

"Yes, but I'm not," said James pointedly, swinging his leg over the broom. "I'm very good, in fact. Something you would know if you came to _any_ of my matches."

Lily smiled sheepishly at his comment, but shook her head. "Just go up without me and get it. You don't need me."

"Of course I need you," said James, and the odd expression passed briefly over his face again. "To, er, tell me where it went! You saw which way it went." Lily's eyes searched desperately for anything she might have missed about the expression, but he quickly hid whatever it was that he was feeling.

"I really don't think—"

"Evans, just get on the broom," said James exasperatedly. "Here, on the back. You won't have to steer, or anything! Just hold on and tell me where to go." She shook her head stubbornly, and James sighed. "It'll take me hours to find it on my own."

Lily hesitated, shifting from one foot to the other. She was out of excuses. Slowly, she crept over to the broom, looking at the space he'd left behind him for her to sit on.

"What if I fall?" she asked nervously.

"You won't," said James immediately.

"But what if I do?"

"Then I'll catch you." And she, too, swung her leg up and over the broomstick.

* * *

 **A/N: Before you say it; yes _I know_ the whole Dorcas and Sirius thing is feeling forced, but… I dunno. I have a basic idea of where I want it to go, and I think it's interesting. We'll see. Tell me if you think it's pointless and I should drop it in a _review!_ :D Hey speaking of _reviewing_ , that's what you should do! ;)**

 **And, I hope you had a Happy Valentine's day; date or no date!**


	8. Eight: Dead Men Walking

**Chapter schedule on my profile.**

 **Reviewing helps improve my writing!** **You don't have to, but if you could take the time to tell me what you think so far, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thank you for all the lovelies that have already taken the time to do so! I love you! :3**

 **James: Bold**

 **Map:** _Italicized and Underlined_

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Eight: Dead Men Walking_

* * *

She slid onto the spot behind him, and she brushed against the back end of the broom. Already, she felt unstable on the thin piece of wood, and her hand shot out behind her to stop herself from falling. Clutching the wood tightly, her feet were raised gently from the ground, and she screwed up her eyes. She felt James's back shake with a small laugh, and opened one eye to see him peering over his shoulder at her.

"I've changed my mind!" gasped Lily, glancing down. She normally wasn't frightened of heights, but with the only thing keeping her from falling back to the ground being a stick, she figured she ought to. Despite her declaration, the grass still rushed rapidly away from her, and she whimpered in fear.

"Hold onto me," instructed James, as he turned his head forward again. Lily scowled and kept her hands firmly grasping the broom. He sighed, and the broomstick lurched forward. Lily felt herself sliding off the end of it, and shrieked. Her hands strangled the stick in her desperation to stay on, but she still slid backwards a few inches. Fearing her sudden and untimely demise, she reluctantly grabbed his arm. "'Round the waist, Evans," said James cheekily, and Lily squeezed his bicep as hard as she could.

"Oy!" cried James, and he struggled to get out of her hold. The broom dipped lower and staggered, leaning to the right. Lily yelped and hooked her fingers in the fabric on his back, pulling him down a ways with her. With a few grunts from James and some scared shuffling from Lily, they finally managed to right themselves. "Let me rephrase that," said James at last, sighing deeply again. "'Round the waist, Evans, _or you'll fall._ "

After some disgruntled mumbling, she tentatively wrapped her arms around his middle, and he exhaled, flying higher. "Right. Now then, which way?"

She glanced down again and the breath left her body. High. So, very high. This was higher than she'd ever been on a broom, and a large gust of wind blew her hair in her face. Her view momentarily shielded from the great distance she was from the earth, she thought of what it would feel like to fall. That didn't help matters much. As her hair settled down at her shoulders and a bird flew near them, it's black wings beating and its head cocked to survey them as it passed, Lily suddenly registered just _how_ high they were. Her heart beat fast, and she took deep breaths to try and calm herself. Curling her fingers into his shirt, she glued herself to him, convinced he would never fall from a broom and so she would be okay as long as she was with him, and felt his heart pounding quickly as well. Lily was relieved to not be the only one who was nervous about the height, though as she slowly opened her eyes he didn't look anxious at all.

"Too high? I can drop, if you need—" offered James.

"N-no!" said Lily defiantly, determined to show him she wasn't frightened. He grinned, and the wind made his hair dance in and out of his eyes. She noticed that it had the exact same affect that his hand usually had in ruffling his hair. He had perfected the move, and Lily begrudgingly admitted to herself that, despite her constant insults, it looked quite good on him.

"I can feel your heartbeat," he said. "But sure. Which way, my darling?"

Choosing to ignore the epithet he had tagged onto the end of his sentence, she peered around at her surroundings nervously. After a moment of consideration, she pointed at the area she thought her essay had blown off to, and James followed her finger with his eyes.

"Brilliant," said James mischievously, throwing her a glance. She didn't like that look one bit; it was full of catastrophe and trouble, which were two things Lily didn't want to experience under normal circumstances, much less up in the sky and so far from the ground.

Sure enough, before Lily could warn him not to try anything, she was upside down. She screamed as James completed his vertical loop, and was nearly thrown from the broom again. Hurtling towards the spot she'd pointed to, Lily wound her fingers even more tightly into his clothing, feeling the skin beneath it. "Potter!" she cried in anguish.

He didn't slow down. In fact, Lily could have sworn he sped up a little. The wind throwing her hair in every direction, she yelled at him again. "POTTER!"

He either didn't hear her over the rushing wind, or chose not to listen to her. Lily suspected the latter. " _James, if—_ " She screeched, cutting her sentence off when she noticed what she'd said. She hadn't meant to use _James._ It felt funny on her lips, and she realized she'd never called him by his first name before. It had the desired effect. James pulled quickly out of the dive and commanded the broom to instead float just above the tips of the trees. He stayed looking straight ahead, and Lily began twisting around to see if she could spot her paper anywhere amongst the branches.

Loosening her grip on him slightly and freeing one of her hands to clear her hair from her eyes, she scanned the trees, looking for any hint of her missing parchment. She knew they probably wouldn't find it, but she really hated to think about rewriting the entire thing. Deciding they hadn't gone quite far enough, she terminated her search and rested her hand on his back, pulling his wrinkled shirt smooth again. "Right. As fun as that was, I'm afraid your mates will find you dead before morning if you try that again. A few trees up might've snagged it," she said.

He obeyed without a single word, pulling them a couple trees up, and Lily resumed her search. As she tried to see around a rather large tree in an attempt to spot what she'd came for, James spoke.

"Am I going mad," asked James softly. "Or did you call me _James?_ "

Lily grimaced. She'd been hoping he would let it slide, but clearly he had no intention of doing so.

"Er, all in your head. Help me look," said Lily.

"Help me look, _James,_ you mean," said James, giving her a wink and swerving the broom around the big pine to aid her search. She didn't see anything.

"Cheeky prat," replied Lily. "Move up."

Chuckling, James nudged the broom further. "We've grown _closer,_ " he said cheerfully, swinging his leg over the broom, sitting on it sidesaddle and giving her an exultant grin. Lily's eyes widened, and for a moment fretted he would fall, but quickly reassured herself that he knew what he was doing.

Still watching him closely to make sure he didn't slip, she replied, "Well, I _have_ come to the realization that, _at times,_ you can be somewhat bearable."

James gasped dramatically and covered his mouth with his hands. "You… you really mean that?" He wiped a nonexistent tear from the corner of his eye.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Clearly, this is not one of those times." James laughed quietly and she began her hunt in the new area. As she searched, they talked some more.

"So, are you going to call me James, now?" he said curiously.

"I dunno. It felt weird," she said truthfully, and tested it out again. "James. You don't… you're _not_ James, to me."

He bobbed his head up and down thoughtfully. "I'm barely James to my friends, to be fair. You don't have to," said James.

"What _friends_ do you know that call each other by their last names?" asked Lily.

"True."

"So, what do I call you? Prongs?"

James let out a bark of laughter, shaking the broom and causing Lily a brief moment of panic as she feared she'd be thrown from the broom. Grasping his shoulder to stop herself from falling off, he gripped her forearm to steady her, a grin still lingering on his face.

"Well you could. But I'll laugh hysterically every time you do," said James.

"What, then?" said Lily, noticing he had slipped his grasp closer to her hand.

"I reckon you should just stick to Potter for now, _Evans,_ " said James, trying to discreetly slide his hand into her palm.

"Yes, I suppose _some_ things never change," said Lily as she plucked her hand away.

He smiled guiltily, and cocked his head to the side. "Date me," he pressed. His hazel eyes shimmering in the sunlight, Lily remembered the last time he had asked her out was a full week ago, and felt almost proud of his accomplishment. The mysterious expression flashed through his eyes, and Lily hunted desperately for any sign of what it could mean. Not knowing was driving her mad, and she knew if she inquired about it he not only wouldn't tell her, but he'd make sure to hide it from then on. By any means, her next sentence effectively removed it.

"I have a boyfriend," said Lily, turning her head away from his sparkling eyes and sighing.

"Yeah, but he's rubbish," said James with a dismissive wave of his hand. "And _Slytherin._ Date _me_ instead!"

"Why are you so against Mark?" asked Lily. "He's a nice bloke!"

"He's just not _me,_ Evans," said James pointedly, moving them to the next clump of trees.

"You're jealous?! Why am I not surprised?" said Lily incredulously, forgetting about her lost essay, and focusing solely on the messy-haired boy teetering on the edge of his broomstick that sat beside her.

"'Course I'm jealous," said James, who had also put the paper out of his mind, and was giving Lily his full attention. "But not of _Prosser!_ I'm envious that _you_ can see past the very obvious fact that we are soulmates, and move on with your life."

"Well that was a bit dramatic," said Lily. "And, how can you think we're _soulmates_ when all we do is bicker?"

"That's just more evidence, Evans," said James. "We're already like an old married couple."

"You are impossible, James Potter," said Lily, glaring at the trees.

"Impossibly _handsome,_ Lily Evans."

-::-

They hadn't been able to find her paper in their search. James had returned Lily to the ground when she had suddenly remembered her study date with Markus, though rather acrimoniously. As she returned to the castle, she decided that while she still thought herself rubbish at flying and not the biggest fan of brooms, she wouldn't mind flying if it were with James again.

Like the day previous, she met almost no one as she walked through the hallways. Aside from a couple other students following her to the library, there was nobody in sight. Lily hurried up the stairs, moving quickly and reaching the platform. As she turned to continue to the next level, however, the staircase pulled away. She exhaled in annoyance, blowing a stray bit of hair out of her eyes. She looked behind her to see the one she had come from was also shifting, the other people jumping to the platform just in time. From experience, Lily knew it could be up to five minutes until they returned, so she let her bag drop to her side and examined the nearest paintings irritably.

She was supposed to be with Markus, and was already late. She'd have to explain that she had been delayed by the staircases, and—

"Well, what do we have here?" said a voice from behind her. She turned her head towards the noise and was met by two Slytherin boys, glaring at her. At once, she recognized them as the two students Mulciber and Avery. They were notoriously known for their flagrant animosity towards Muggleborns, and Lily's heart sank when she saw them give each other wicked glances. Their gaze was murderous as their eyes settled back onto her, and Lily was taken aback by the ferocity in their tone. "A _Mudblood?_ " Then, three things happened in rapid succession.

First, Lily remembered her wand was still tucked away in her bag. She got the feeling she would need it to walk away from the encounter without at least a bruised ego. The bag, which was still in a pile at her side, was unlatched. Risking a quick look at it, she saw the very tip of the wand poking out from between the folds. She just needed to be fast enough in grabbing it, and she could defend herself. Unfortunately, the boys weren't as thick as they looked, and they caught on to what Lily was thinking. Seeing her glance down at her bag, they made quick work of whipping out their own wands.

Second, Lily made a dive for the bag. " _Flipendo!_ " shouted Mulciber and Avery simultaneously, jets of magenta light streaming from their wand tips. The spells made contact with Lily, taking her breath away.

Third, she was propelled sideways. The force of both the jinxes hit her square in the back, and she was knocked onto her face. Her head smacked against the hard stone floor, and she cried out in pain. There was a faint ringing in her ears, and something hot and sticky dribbled down her forehead. Everything was moving in slow motion, and the boys' laughter came to her as if she was hearing it from underwater. Blood flowed over her eyes, making her already bleary vision go red.

Disoriented and partially blinded, Lily noticed her bag was laying mere inches in front of her face. She pulled her hand up towards it, and almost had her fingers to her wand when she heard another spell cast. " _Impedimenta!_ " exclaimed Avery, and her hand suddenly felt too heavy to move any further. She heard them walk closer, and she began to breathe faster. They could do anything; snap her wand, or break her bones! Lily's eyes found the platform's edge, which she'd fallen dangerously close too, and her heart skipped a beat at the thought of slipping over the lip of it. Avery crouched down next to her, probing her scalp with his wand.

"Pathetic creature," sneered Avery, smiling widely and revealing his large, uneven teeth.

"Perhaps we should just put it out of its misery," added Mulciber, without a hint of pity in his voice. The boys snickered as Mulciber advanced.

"Something so hideous doesn't deserve such mercy," said Avery viciously, the smirk sliding off his face. It was replaced by a cold, calculating expression that made Lily's veins turn to ice. "At least, not _yet._ "

Lily blinked, trying not to let the fear she was feeling show. She heard an outraged cry from above her, but her head still felt as if it were made of lead, so she relied on the others' surprised looks to tell her it was someone on her side.

"Leave her alone!" threatened a squeaky voice. "You leave her be right this instant!"

The boys glanced at each other, before letting out cackles. The voice didn't sound cautionary at all. In fact, it was just the opposite; shrill and childish. Lily thought it to be a male voice, but paired with its pitch she couldn't be sure. They clutched their stomachs and laughed wickedly. After several minutes of laughter, they finally regained control, and stood to face her defender.

"Or _what?_ " challenged Avery, shifting out of Lily's view.

"Or I'll tell the Headmaster!" replied the high voice. Lily's heart sank even lower. Threatening to tattle wouldn't help matters in the slightest. " _Mimblewimble!_ Try telling him now," said Avery, and Lily recalled that it was the Tongue-Tying Curse, that prevented you from speaking about a particular topic. She noted it was fairly advanced magic, though that only made her fear what was next.

Although Lily could not see what happened, there was a flash of bright light and the voice made gagging noises, which were then followed by stuttering.

They chuckled again, and Mulciber pressed his wand tip between her eyes. It dug into the skin, and Lily had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain. He muttered the incantation to the Stinging Jinx. Her skin stretched and contorted, swelling and puffing as the jinx took its affect. Her tongue expanded, taking up the entirety of her mouth and left her struggling for breath while her eyes grew and blocked even more of her vision.

"No!" whined the mystery voice. "Albus Dumbledore _shall_ hear of this!" They snorted in amusement. The ground beneath her shook slightly, and she figured the staircases must be returning. As it glided back into place, the boys retrieved their things. Aiming his wand at her again, Avery bound her tongue as well. It was an unpleasant sensation, and Lily felt briefly as though she were going to throw up. As they passed her, they crushed her fingers with their shoes, causing Lily to hear four disquieting cracks. She wailed as determined pain found it's way to her hand, filling the space and making Lily tremble, and lay still in an feeble attempt to lessen the torment. They strutted away from Lily, leaving her in a moaning heap and laughing mercilessly. "If you thought that was bad, you'll not like what's to come."

"I-I'm sorry, Miss," said the small voice in defeat. Lily tried to move her head to get a proper look at her supporter, but found she couldn't shift it enough to do so.

"S'okay," whimpered Lily. "Not your fault."

"I'll get help!" cried the voice, already fading into the distance in their search. Lily heard no footsteps depart, but couldn't be bothered to care with her fingers still torturing her. Squinting at her bag again, she still saw the wand cradled within the fabric, and moved her right hand towards it because the left hurt too much. Met with no more pain than keeping it still, she gradually reached it, touching the tip of her index finger to the wand. It was her pinky that was broken on her right hand, so she was careful to exclude it as she wrapped her other fingers around the wand. She turned it around to face her, and tried to think of a spell that would help her.

Though the Impedimenta Jinx had worn off, she still couldn't move much because of her head's swelling and hands' pain. The first thing she did was mutter the counter-jinx to her head's size, and it began to deflate like a balloon. Regaining some of her vision, and taking deep breaths to clear her mind, she gently shifted the wand to point at her left hands damaged fingers.

" _Ferula,_ " breathed Lily, and bandages wound their way around her fingers, strapping them to splints. Though initially painful, she felt her pain ebb away somewhat after they'd been wrapped, and slowly sat up. She performed the same action with her right hand, and found all she was left with was a killer headache, a sizable gash on her forehead, and her pride considerably wounded. She made her way over to the wall and leaned against it, waiting for the assistance the unknown voice had promised. Closing her eyes, she replayed the encounter over in her mind.

She'd always been given dirty looks by the two Slytherin boys, but they'd never gone so far as to physically harm her. Lily realized with a jolt that without Severus to defend her, there was nothing stopping them from continuously injuring her. She thought on what they had left her with. _If you thought that was bad, you'll not like what's to come._

What did that mean? It obviously implied they were going to hurt her again, and do a great deal worse than what they had just done. But, when? And why her? There were plenty of Muggleborns in the school. The only reason they would target her specifically is… Severus. Perhaps he had told them to make her life as miserable as they could! She didn't want to believe it, but before she could come up with strong evidence against the theory, she heard a strangled cry of shock, followed by the sound of rushing footsteps.

She opened her eyes and saw Madam Pomfrey hurrying towards her from the staircase, and a boy trailing along in her wake. "My dear!" she exclaimed, reaching Lily's side and crouching down to examine her. "Oh, you poor thing! Purcell, help her to the hospital wing and treat her wounds. I need to have a word with the Headmaster. Trixie, thank you for fetching me."

Madam Pomfrey waited for the boy she'd brought to nod and approach Lily before scurrying off down the hall. Lily tried to look at the boy, but found he kept slipping out of focus. She felt her head grow fuzzy again, and she slipped into unconsciousness as he lifted her gently with a spell.

-::-

She woke with a start to find Markus holding her hand, asleep in the chair to the left of her. She scanned the room, coming to the conclusion that she'd been placed in the hospital wing. Looking to a window she saw that it was dark, and all the other patients were asleep, though only five other students shared the room with her, including her boyfriend.

Looking down, she saw her splints and bandages had been removed, and all she felt in her hands was a dull ache. Her headache had subsided to a gentle throb, and when she reached up with her unoccupied hand, she felt a scab had replaced the large cut on her forehead. She peered at the bedside table to see her bag had been set down on it, and she reached inside to make sure her wand was at arms length. Once she had confirmed that it was, indeed, tucked inside, she withdrew her hand and sighed.

When she looked around the room in search of a clock and found there was none in the room, she turned back to the window to gauge the time. The full, fat moon hung low over the tree tops, and Lily thought it ought to have just risen, making it very early in the morning.

Markus's hand twitched, and her head swiveled to see him stirring. She squeezed his hand softly and he smiled. Opening her eyes sleepily, he clutched tightly in return.

"Good morning," said Lily quietly, not wanting to wake the other patients. He grunted in reply, rubbing his eyes with his free hand and shaking his head to clear it.

"Why aren't you in your own bed?" she asked as his eyes landed on her again.

"Because my girlfriend is in the _hospital!_ " he exclaimed, and Lily shushed him gently. "Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He added the last bit on in a hushed tone, taking her other hand with his.

She played with his fingers and pulled herself forward to face him. "That's sweet," she said as she swung her legs off the bed. Their knees brushed, and he leaned closer. "But I feel bad keeping you."

He chuckled. "I thought I might murder them if I had to stay in my common room any longer. They just _sat_ there, looking bloody _pleased_ with themselves. What kind of—"

Lily stopped him by pressing her mouth to his, resting her palm on his cheek. He kissed her back softly, their mouths moving together. It was controlled, and initiated mostly out of Lily's desire to talk about anything other than what had happened, but she enjoyed it all the same. They parted quietly, and Markus was grinning ear to ear.

Blushing, Lily sank back into her pillows, tugging the sheets back over her. "Right. How was the library?" inquired Lily.

"Boring, without you to snog," said Markus, but revised after a few moments of consideration. "No, I take that back. Sil tried to jinx people's quills into copying what they were writing onto his own parchment, and got hexed six times by the end of it."

Lily giggled. "Were they at least decent hexes?" She had a couple favorites she liked to use. Mostly on James.

"I dunno the incantation, but the Finger-Removing Jinx was used, and he he had bright pink hair that came down to his elbows at one point," he said amusedly.

She laughed again, louder this time so that Markus was the one to shush her. "Time-honored classics," she managed to get out, stifling another giggle. "What about _Tentaclifors?_ I love that one."

He shook his head, and she shrugged in disappointment. She would have loved to see Silenus with long, pink hair, and no fingers.

They talked for as long as they could, before their eyes grew heavy and their speech became slurred, and then they went to sleep. Markus came to join her in the bed, and she fell asleep curled against him, listening to his steady heart beat.

She slept soundly through the night, until she was awoken by Madam Pomfrey's disapproving tone. "I believe they made the Slytherin dorms for a reason, Mr. Prosser," she quipped, and he looked to her groggily.

"Did they?" he said sleepily, burying his nose into Lily's hair. Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips, and took out her wand. Lily nudged him, and upon spotting it as well, he scrambled out of the bed. "Sorry! I'm sorry! Lily, I'll just see you in class, then?"

She nodded and Madam Pomfrey pushed him from the room and returned to her side. "Now," she said, tucking her wand away again. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Much better," said Lily, sitting up and stretching.

"How do your hands feel, dear?" asked Madam Pomfrey, eyeing her fingers. Lily stretched them as far as they'd go, and then balled her fist back up. Painless and seemingly as good as ever, she informed her that she felt as good as new.

"Excellent! I've excused you from your classes to finish any assignments you had yet to complete, though I advise you to stay in your own common room to do so."

Lily was released from the hospital wing after Madam Pomfrey triple-checked that she felt better, and told her to return if she felt nauseous or achey. Heeding her advice, Lily headed straight to the Gryffindor common room, and entered to find it empty. All the students were already in class.

She climbed the stairs to her dorm, and spotted her bed. Crossing the room to it, she saw a roll of parchment sitting neatly beside a small note. Picking up the card, she saw James's familiar handwriting scrawled along it.

 **Lily,**

 **I hope this will make up for my atrocious disregard for your safety. I should have walked you to the library. I'm so, so sorry. Don't you _dare_ be anything less than unscathed, you hear me?**

 **Three hours and twenty-two minutes, in case you were wondering. I did say it would take hours without you.**

 **She wouldn't let me in to see you. Apparently, it's four visitors at a time. You have too many friends.**

 **James**

 **P.S. I'll bloody kill them for this. They're going to get Avery bad hexing, and be laid on Mulcibiers. (Not the time?) No, but really. They're dead men walking.**

She snorted at the last line, cheered by his ill-timed puns, and his protective declaration. Lily read the note three times more, before grabbing the parchment and unrolling it. She stared at her Arithmancy essay in disbelief, shocked that he would spend so much time retrieving it. He probably did it out of guilt, though it wasn't his fault she was attacked, contrary to what he thought.

She found herself staring at her name, and noticing the way the letters connected seamlessly, as though he'd written it many times. She dismissed her thoughts as ridiculous, and settled on the conclusion that it was just the way his handwriting looked.

At a loss for what else to do, she resorted to making sure all her papers were free of errors and grammatically correct, before wandering around the dormitory aimlessly. She fiddled with James's note for a bit, then changed into her school clothes. She put her hands into her back pocket, and they connected with something.

Wrinkling her brows in confusion, she pulled it out and saw it to be the odd-shaped parchment she'd found a few nights previous. She folded and unfolded the paper until it was a neat rectangle again, and studied it.

It didn't seem like the kind of spare parchment one would have lying around. It had odd extensions, and was too large for that to be its purpose. Pulling out her wand, she tried a few spells. When nothing happened, she attempted a revealing charm. " _Revelio,_ " said Lily lazily. Her eyes widened as black ink suddenly swirled onto the paper in large, loopy handwriting.

 _Mr Moony would like to request that Miss Evans not take what isn't hers, and should she ever come across something she does not own again to keep off._

 _Mr Wormtail implores Miss Evans to yield the stolen parchment, and wonders how such a crook was made Prefect to begin with._

 _Mr Padfoot strongly suggests Miss Evans put aside her unbelievably adamant temper and just hand back what she took to its rightful owners, as well as offers his revulsion for her choice in current significant other._

 _Mr Prongs is appalled by his colleagues' harsh words, and apologizes profusely for their lack of respect, though he does not disagree with Mr Padfoot. He would also like to express that Miss Evans looks positively gorgeous on this fine morning._

She stared at the ink, her mouth hanging slightly ajar. So it was the Marauders' after all. Recognizing them by their nicknames, she made a mental note to chastise them for being so rude. However, as she looked at James's writing, she noticed that while it was no doubt flirtatious, it lacked the blunt and crude element that usually accompanied his coquetry.

Lily gazed at the words that had appeared until they faded away, leaving no trace they were ever there. She tried to think of what the paper might be, behind the insulting defense. Most likely, one would need a password to get in, but as Lily thought about what sort of secret word or phrase the four boys could agree on using for the parchment, nothing came to mind. Her best chance at getting in would either be handing it in to a teacher, or giving it back to the Marauders, like they had demanded she do.

Not wanting to get berated for taking away their fun, she decided on giving it back to them the next time she saw them. Briefly, she pondered if this was the "theoretical baby" that Remus had talked about. James practically had a meltdown, and though he was often melodramatic and blew things out of proportion, he had seemed genuinely distraught at the thought of never seeing it again.

 _Then again,_ thought Lily mischievously. _I could make them work for it. I could have an entire day without Black's puns, or stop all the flirting…._

Lily revised her decision to include her new plan, and settled that while she would give it back to them, she'd have her fun first.

* * *

 **A/N: I really love the broomstick scene, but it was an absolute bitch to write. Couldn't get it right for the longest time. Anyway, I think it turned out good, and it's actually one of my favorite scenes so far! What d'you think? This is a tad on the short side. Sorry.**

 **The Marauders insulted her, but I don't even think James's _magic_ has the ability to say a word against her! There will be more of the four of them in the next chapter (shenanigans, and whatnot.), so look forward to that.**

 **Opinions on Markus? Just so you know, he's more than just a cockblock to James. (Sorry for the crude term.) I've got a fairly interesting, in my opinion anyway, plot twist involving him.**


	9. Nine: Twelve Hour Wait

**Shoutout to TrueHomiePiP and SilviaGreyback for leaving beautifully consistent and supportive reviews! Thank you so much for your, and everyone else's, feedback!**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Nine: Twelve Hour Wait_

* * *

Since she had the day free of classes, Lily stayed curled by the fireplace with her nose buried in a strange vampire novel she'd swiped from Dorcas's trunk until lunch came. Checking the large clock by the far end of the room, she saw it was time to eat, she hastily bookmarked what she was reading. Throwing the book down on the nearest table and snatching her wand from the cushions of the couch, she made her way down to the Great Hall. She spotted her friends quickly, and hurried over to them.

Forcing her way between Peter and Dorcas, she managed to secure a spot at the table. Her stomach rumbled as she sat down, and she started piling the delicious-looking food onto her plate. They all exchanged surprised and nervous looks as she did so.

"Lily! Oh my — how do you feel?" said Marlene, and it looked to Lily that everyone wanted to hear the answer. Apprehensive looks entered her friends' faces, and Lily gulped down the swig of her drink she'd taken.

"I feel fine. Hungry, mostly," said Lily, taking a bite of the food she'd gathered. They glanced at each other, clearly unsatisfied with her dismissive response. Sighing, and swallowing her food, she told them the story. The whole, long story, because whenever she tried to skip over a particularly unpleasant part of the memory, Marlene could tell she'd left something out. Lily usually thought her skill for being able to tell when someone was lying was quite impressive, but found she wasn't quite so amazed by it when she was on the receiving end.

When she'd finished, no one said anything. Even Sirius had no joke or pun at the ready. Her belly growled at her, and she started to eat again. She noticed that while the others had been eyeing each other tensely throughout her telling, James's eyes had never strayed from hers. Even still, his hazel orbs bore into hers intensely, his expression unreadable. She ate in silence while the rest processed what she'd told them, making a point of keeping her eyes away from James's searing gaze, though he lessened it's ferocity once conversation was started.

"Who was it that helped you, again?" asked Remus suddenly.

"What?" said Lily, her head snapping to meet his stare. "Oh, er, I'm not sure. I never saw them."

"But Madam Pomfrey said their name, right?" added Mary, trying to remember what Lily had said. "Tracie? Tommy-"

"Trixie," corrected Lily. "I think."

"I don't know anyone named Trixie. 'Cept your cousin, Padfoot," said Peter, and Sirius wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"She doesn't go by that," Sirius pointed out. "Besides, she'd rather duel a basilisk than save a Muggleborn." He winced at the matter-of-fact tone he'd used. Putting down his glass, he looked to Lily, an apologetic expression crossing his face. "If it helps, I bloody hate her."

Smiling softly, Lily waved him away. "It's fine. I reckon it was just a first year."

"Or Prixie!"exclaimed James, breaking his determined stare to look at Sirius in awe. Sirius considered it for a moment, then his eyes widened and he nodded in disbelief.

"That wanker finally did something right," mumbled Sirius thoughtfully, mulling the apparently ludicrous idea over. Remus rolled his eyes, and Sirius chuckled. "Got something to say, Moony?"

"She's just a child," said Remus. "An innocent, harmless child. Why do insist on calling her—"

" _Innocent?_ " repeated James incredulously, just as Sirius said, " _Harmless?_ " Giving each other disbelieving looks, and earning another impatient sigh from Remus, they turned to him and said at the same time, "January fourth, nineteen-seventy-five."

Remus gave them an unconvinced look. "Merlin, let that _go,_ will you?" said Remus. "It was ages ago." Lily interrupted the horrified gasps of shock that James and Sirius no doubt had at the ready with an inquiry as to who they were talking about.

"Well, her _actual_ name is Trixie," explained Remus."But these prats insist on calling her Prixie, because she often tattles on them if she catches them in the hallway after hours. She's a painting hanging near the staircase you were attacked on. Can't be more than seven. Blonde ringlets. Looks a bit like Shirley Temple."

Lily thought it over for a moment, and then wondered how she had not thought of that herself; it seemed so obvious to her in hindsight. That's why there was no footsteps when she went to fetch help, and why Lily couldn't catch a glimpse of even her feet. She'd been pondering how someone got to the platform when both the staircases were facing away from it, but a girl in a painting made perfect sense.

"She's a right prick," said Sirius irritably. "Hence the name Prixie."

She nodded to show she understood, and though she thought the nickname to be rather uncreative and dull, she didn't voice her opinion out loud. She made a quick mental note to thank the painted girl the next time she saw her, as James launched into his story.

"It was a dark and stormy night—" began James.

"No, it wasn't," said Remus irritably, but Lily thought she saw the corners of his mouth turn up in amusement.

"Let me tell the story, Moony!"

"Sorry, sorry. Go on."

"Thank you. _It was a dark and_ — well, yeah. It was a pretty clear night, actually. Anyway, me and Padfoot were walking back from the dungeons. We'd just finished making all the Amortentia examples smell like yours truly, so Snivellus'd think he was attracted to me—"

"Oh, Merlin, I remember that," muttered Lily, and James's head cocked to the side in confusion. She hadn't meant for him to hear, but she figured it would be more trouble convincing him to drop it than to just tell the story. "It freaked Sev out. A lot. He froze anytime I said your name for _weeks._ I had to quit using it 'til March." She smiled softly at the memory. Fourth year had been when Severus had started to grow closer to his Slytherin peers and drift further from Lily, but it had still been good between the two of them. He'd been outraged when she teased that love and hate were similar emotions, and had refused to talk to her for the rest of the day. She'd thanked every God she could think of she'd been absent that day, or else she would've had to experience the same torture of thinking she found James Potter attractive. She was shaken out her recollection by James's smirk, and she was all too familiar with was coming next.

"Because you talked about me so often?" said James, and Lily glared at him.

"Finish your story," said Lily.

" _You_ interrupted _me,_ darling."

"Finish your story, or I'll hex you."

"Fine. After the _successful_ prank," continued James, and he and Sirius high-fived. "And our super close call with Filch, we were pretty much in the clear. Nearly there without a teacher on the way was — still is — virtually unheard of. However, we _didn't_ account for Prixie. We walked past her and she just sort of cleared her throat a little. She looked at us and asked us why we were out so late. Usually paintings don't think much of it if you say you've just come from detention, but for some reason she didn't buy it.

We went to bed thinking we'd gotten away with it, but Mcgonagall gave us this… _knowing_ look as we walked into class the next day, and I knew that, somehow, she knew we'd done something. Since no one else had seen us, it had to have Prixie who ratted us out. Took us ages to riddle it out, though. Paintings stop to ask us that sort of stuff all the time. Actually, to be fair, we _are_ coming from detention fifty percent of the time, so I can't say I blame them for believing us."

They spent the rest of their meal time debating if the prank was successful, or if everyone in the class actually was attracted to James. James, of course, adamantly refused to believe either idea was false, while Lily rejected the idea that either could be true. After her friends had returned to class, she trekked back to the common room and resumed her book.

Snuggled close to the fire with a blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders, something he'd said kept nagging at the back of her mind. _Nearly there without a teacher on the way._ Surely he meant that he'd known this after he'd arrived. But, it was the way that he'd phrased it that made Lily think more on it. He made it sound like the pair of them had known the path back was free of teachers, though they had no way of knowing such a thing. She tried to concentrate on her book, and with minor difficulty managed to push their impossible knowledge from her mind.

-::-

By the time students started streaming through the doors of the common room, the fire was dying and begging for more wood. She'd gotten a good way through her book when it was suddenly snatched from her hands. She looked up to see James standing over her, reading the title first in his head, then out loud.

" _Interview With The Vampire,_ " read James dramatically, raising an eyebrow.

"Give it back!" said Lily, trying to grab hold of the book without rising from her comfortable spot on the sofa. He held it higher and began reading the summary.

" _The vampire speaks of his first two hundred years… of his dark journey in an undying life… of his unnatural,_ erotic _alliance with the beautiful Claudia_ — Evans, what _is_ this?" said James, grinning.

"I was bored," said Lily defensively, her eyes slits.

"Mhm. _Sure._ "

"I was! It's Dorcas's book!"

"Yes, _of course._ "

"Sod off, Potter" said Lily, finally grabbing hold of the cover and tearing it from his grasp. It seemed that no matter how much progress their friendship made, they still bickered incessantly. Swinging himself over the back of the couch, he landed gracefully beside her, looping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. He tugged her against his chest, and he was so close that their foreheads nearly touched. Lily felt a vague sense of familiarity as his scent surrounded her, and was briefly distracted by the odd recognition. They spent a few fleeting moments sharing the same air as she breathed in his minty breath and registered the strange normality of his closeness before she realized with a jolt that they were practically kissing.

Scowling, Lily pushed away from him, shoving a pillow in between them so he couldn't try the same move again. He chuckled, and she crossed her arms. "Are you here just to bother me?" said Lily exasperatedly, placing the book down on the table.

"Here as in _Hogwarts?_ Here as in _alive?_ You should really be more specific."

She let out an annoyed groan. "I can't deal with you right now,"said Lily, pushing herself up to a standing position and making a move to walk away, the blanket slipping from around her and piling on the floor. He grabbed and tugged her hand to keep her from walking away.

"No, wait! Don't be upset, I didn't come for that," said James genuinely, as Lily stumbled backwards, tripping over a bump in the rug. Pulling her towards him, she landed unceremoniously in his lap, while he intertwined their fingers and rested his hand on the small of her back. He leaned in so there noses were almost touching again. "This isn't what I came here for either," he mumbled, his eyes fluttering closed. "But it seems to just keep happening."

Snatching her hand out of his and leaping from the couch, she recoiled. "What _did_ you come here for, then?" she hissed, glaring at him. Since the start of their friendship James had, for the most part, kept his flirting to a minimum. The thing that annoyed Lily was that the times he did turn on the charm were much more… physical.

Before, it had just been pickup lines and winks, along with the occasional nicking and holding up above her head of her things, so she'd have to jump to reach them. However, now he was always finding ways to touch her; brushing their hands, bumping into her, or sitting too close. It was driving her mad.

An unfamiliar emotion flitted through his eyes as she shrank back from his touch, but Lily was so used to that happening recently she didn't dwell on trying to puzzle out what it had been. He quickly hid whatever he'd felt, and his voice became low, and serious. "I wanted to make sure you're okay. I mean, I know you said you were, but… I dunno. Are you?" said James.

Her expression softened, and she eased herself slowly back onto the couch, though she made sure not to let any part of them touch. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, and felt suddenly guilty for being short with him.

"I am," she said quietly, looking at his concerned expression. The firelight flickered on his face, making his eyes dance with gold and shimmer.

"But you have a huge mark on your forehead," he said. "And Markus told me that you're hands still hurt, and—"

"You talked to Mark?" interrupted Lily, surprised. "Why?"

"Well," said James. "Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let me in to see you, and your friends weren't sure if you'd even _want_ me to know how you were, so I waited until Markus left the hospital and—"

"He was with me nearly _twelve hours!_ " exclaimed Lily.

"Yes, but nobody would bloody tell me if you were okay! Or what had happened! Or… _anything!_ " said James frustratedly. He looked angry, but Lily could think only of James sitting in the hallway outside the hospital wing all night long. She knew he was still talking, giving her reasons and defenses as to why he was there so long, but all his words sounded jumbled and distant.

He, James Potter, had waited _twelve hours_ outside the hospital wing to be sure she was alright. And what would he have done if she wasn't? There wasn't anything he could do, if she was bloody or broken inside the doors; he would have had to sit outside even longer to know any details, so why did he do it?

"…but, you're sure — _absolutely sure_ — you're okay?" said James, just as she tuned back in to what he was saying. She bobbed her head up and down, and he smiled. Not a smirk, or a grin. Just a smile, and his eyes sparkled in the warm light. They chatted about nothing for a few more minutes, before a dark look crossed James's face. "Lily, I—"

" _Lily!_ This must be important," said Lily playfully, and she thought she saw his lips twitch in amusement, but he quickly resumed his ominous statement.

"I've been thinking about what Snape said on the train," said James. " _'You've no idea what I could do'._ And… well, don't you think it's a bit odd? He didn't say 'You've no idea what I _can_ do', or 'You've no idea what I've _done_ '. It was a threat! He was warning us of what he _could_ do — of what he _would_ do."

"Get to the point," said Lily impatiently.

"I think Snape was behind your attack. Or at least knew about it, and didn't warn you," Lily looked away, staring into the lambent flames of the fire. She'd drawn the same conclusion herself, but had been in firm denial ever since. Hearing it spoken out loud, it made even more sense, and she knew that James was probably right. Lily just wondered how can two people go from being best friends to hurting one another so quickly.

"I know," she whispered, closing her eyes and clasping her hands together tightly. "But I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright. Can I at least make Mulciber and Avery's lives miserable?" said James.

"I would prefer you not," said Lily, though she doubted he would take her request to heart.

"But they _broke_ you! They broke and left you there! They should be kicked out of Hogwarts, or sent into the Dark Forest without wands, or—"

"Hexes and Jinxes, then. Nothing to _really_ hurt them."

He nodded, and they fell into silence. They both gazed into the fire for a few moments, before James cracked a smile, and spoke. "Right. Evans, if you feel like seeing me in my Quidditch uniform again, because I know how much you enjoyed it last time," here, the wink and smirk Lily had grown accustomed to was added. "Come to the pitch tomorrow. We've got our first practice."

Lily rolled her eyes, and bent down to pick the blanket from the floor to warm her cold toes. Wrapping the quilt around her feet and legs, she sighed. "I'll probably be there. _Regardless_ of the fact that I don't care to see you in your costume again!" said Lily, and she saw an offended expression cross James's face at the word 'costume'.

"Low blow, Evans," said James, but curiously moved on. "Why will you be there, then, if you're not there to stare at me?"

"Dorcas'll drag me along to see Black," she said, shoving her hands into the blanket as well, and letting them warm.

"Wha— _why?_ He'll probably just be off snogging someone in a storage cupboard," laughed James.

"Did he not _understand_ my warning?" hissed Lily.

"What are you on about? Padfoot got over her before anything even happened." Lily's eyebrows popped up. So, Sirius hadn't told him? But, they told each other _everything!_ And Dorcas had been telling her all week, in much more detail than Lily cared for, all thirty seven other times they'd snogged or shagged since the first. How could he have failed to mention it to his _best mate?_ Or, perhaps it meant so little to him that he didn't think it to be important enough to share with his friends. Slightly insulted on Dorcas's behalf, she didn't feel like explaining to James what his friend had been up to — or shall we say _into_ — lately, so she focused on the other new bit of information she'd derived.

"Isn't Black on the team?" said Lily, her temper still threatening to bubble forth.

James let out a bark of laughter, and his hand reached up to ruffle his hair. "Merlin, no! He's rubbish at Quidditch, though he likes to think otherwise," chuckled James, looking highly amused at the prospect of Sirius making the team.

"But, I've seen his broom…" mumbled Lily, momentarily forgetting about her anger.

James snickered again, and glanced over his shoulder, as if to check if anybody was listening in. "He bought that to impress girls. Doesn't work so much with guys, but I must admit it works quite well with women."

"He uses a _broom_ to… I cannot thank you enough for sharing that with me!" said Lily, a laugh bursting from her chest unexpectedly. She hadn't thought Sirius to be so petty, and it highly amused her to think of him wandering around with the broomstick under his arm, trying to pick up girls with it. James laughed with her, but implored her not to tell Sirius that he'd told her. Lily agreed, and wondered, if it was so top-secret to begin with, why he had told her at all.

-::-

The next day, after classes and just as Lily had predicted, Dorcas dragged her, Marlene, and Mary down to the Quidditch field. It was brisk and gusty outside, making the orange-red leaves blow up and around their heads. Her friends kept making jokes about how her hair made her blend in with the leaves, and by the time they'd reached the pitch she'd grown tired of it.

"Dorie, he's not even on the bloody team," complained Lily, pulling her scarf more tightly around her neck as the wind tugged at it. "There's no point in looking here!"

"But maybe he's come to watch!" said Dorcas, standing on her toes to see if she could spot Sirius.

"Or maybe he hasn't, and we're standing in the cold for nothing," said Marlene, huddling next to Lily to try and stay warm. While the two girls burrowed into each other for heat, Mary helped Dorcas scan the seats. Lily and Marlene were still trying to use each others body heat as the other two wandered off for a closer look, leaving the two of them alone on the field.

Suddenly, Lily's hat was lifted from her head and pulled upwards. Her hands flew up to try and catch it before it made it's escape, but were met with nothing but air and a blur of gold and red. As the figure — who she could only assume was James — whizzed past her and veered sharply to the left to avoid the stands, she pursed her lips and crossed her arms indignantly. Marlene released her firm grasp on Lily, and let her eyes follow him as he shot higher in the sky. Lily shuddered as she remembered the dive he'd taken when they'd gone to fetch her essay, and glared when he pulled the same loop-and-plunge stunt.

Another Quidditch player drifted towards Lily and Marlene, an apologetic look on his face. Lily couldn't remember the name of the boy, though his curly blonde hair looked familiar.

"Sorry 'bout him," he said. "You're Lily, then?" He raised his eyebrows questioningly as James showed off more behind him.

"Er, yes. What gave me away?" said Lily, only half-joking.

"James is showing off now. He only does that when you're here, so I'm told," said the boy, looking over his shoulder as James spiraled so far into the air that Lily almost couldn't make him out. "I'm Zach, by the way." His broom dipped lower, and he shook the girls' hands in greeting as Marlene introduced herself. Lily heard a small yelp from behind her, and saw Dorcas rushing towards them, her eyes filled with awe.

"Zacharias Fedele?" asked Dorcas nervously.

"Oh, er, call me Zach," said Zach, looking uncomfortable.

"O-okay!" squeaked Dorcas, and she gazed at him in amazement. "You're a brilliant keeper. Best I've ever seen!"

Zach turned pink, and became flustered. Luckily for him, James decided to return at that moment, saving him from any further interaction with Dorcas. Swerving to avoid the grateful-looking keeper, he pulled to a stop in front of Lily, who raised one brow and held out her hand expectantly.

"Good show, Potter," said Lily sarcastically. "Now give it back."

James grinned and produced her hat, tossing it to her. She pulled it back on, and Zach slipped away as James lowered to the ground and hopped off his broom. Propping himself up on it nonchalantly, he leaned in towards her. "Glad you could make it."

He looked absolutely gorgeous in his uniform; his hair was beautifully untidy and his cloak danced behind him in the breeze. His cheeks were flushed from the cold air, and his eyes were green and gold in the sunlight. It infuriated her.

"I didn't have a choice," she quipped, having a difficult time keeping her eyes on his face. He smirked, and she got the sense that he knew the strange effect he was having on her, but before his flirtatious reply could come, Dorcas interrupted him.

"Sirius isn't here, is he?" said Dorcas, unsuccessfully attempting to keep the hopefulness out of her voice. James kept his gaze locked on Lily, and she squirmed under its intensity.

"'Fraid not. I'd check the broom closet, if you're lookin' for him," said James, jerking his head towards a small shed on the outskirts of the field, which Lily assumed held the player's brooms when they weren't in use. Dorcas's face fell, though James didn't appear to take much interest. His eyes explored Lily's face, drifting from her cheeks to her lips, and back again.

Even more enraged when she realized she was staring back, mouth just the slightest bit open, she turned quickly away and grabbed Dorcas. Pulling her off the field, she said in a voice loud enough for James to hear, "Let's go. You can do better than him, anyway."

James called after her, but she marched away with her friends, hearing his faint shouting from behind her.

Lily, Mary, and Marlene spent the rest of the afternoon trailing after Dorcas, who ran all over the castle in search of Sirius. When she finally gave up, they returned to the common room tired and grumpy. Dorcas hopped up the steps to the dormitory, and the others threw themselves down onto the couch, rubbing their feet and grumbling amongst themselves.

"She's like a lovestruck puppy," mumbled Marlene, and Lily nodded in agreement.

"What's _so_ great about him that we needed to check every bloody inch of the castle?" muttered Lily.

"He's just new," soothed Mary, though she looked equally agitated. "She'll stop after a few weeks." Marlene and Lily looked at her, horrified.

" _Weeks?!_ " they both screeched, groaning at the thought of having to endure Dorcas's obsession for any longer. "I don't understand her, sometimes," grumbled Lily.

"It can't be healthy. Following him around like that," said Marlene, and the other two nodded. They all pulled out parchment and quills, beginning their homework while still complaining about their friends' abrupt infatuation with the black-haired Gryffindor. The three of them continued on like that until supper, at which point Dorcas joined them and they had to keep their mouths closed.

In the Great Hall, Sirius and Remus were noticeably absent from their usual spots. This upset Dorcas quite a bit, but the other girls had to fight to keep from bellowing 'hallelujah'. As Lily sat down, she sensed that something was off with the two boys sitting across from her. They were quiet and reserved, greeting them politely and resuming their meals without another word. Both kept their eyes on their plates, and neither mentioned why Sirius and Remus weren't present. Lily watched them closely as she half-heartedly listened to Mary's most recent gossip.

"I heard that Theodore Paley and Olive Rampkin shagged, but they didn't use the Prevention Charm properly, so now she's pregnant. It's probably not true, but that's just what I heard," said Mary. Marlene sighed and asked for something truthful, and Mary supplier her with another rumor. James and Peter didn't seem the least bit interested in anything anyone had to say. Their eyes dutifully trained on their food, Lily thought them to look almost scared, but she had no idea why they would be.

"Fine,"said Mary. "Let's see… oh! I can't believe I almost forgot! Mar, you know Albert Purcell, right?" Marlene nodded and she continued. "Millie's told me he fancies you." As the rest of her friends giggled, James moved a millimeter closer to Peter. His lips barely moved and Lily couldn't make out what he was saying, but she could tell it worried Peter even more from the horror that crept into his eyes when James leaned away. They shared a look, then stared back down at their meal again, though neither continued eating.

"Lily!" exclaimed Marlene, snapping her fingers in front of Lily's face to capture her attention.

"W-what?" said Lily, pulling her eyes away from the sullen boys.

"Did you hear me?" inquired Marlene, and when Lily shook her head guiltily she sighed. "Would it be awful if I went out with Albert?"

"Purcell? My ex?" confirmed Lily. "Oh, er, I suppose not. It was a mutual breakup."

"Brilliant!" effused Marlene, beaming. Lily returned her gaze to the James and Peter, who were sitting as still as statues in somber silence. It didn't feel right to ask them what was the matter in such a public place, so Lily resolved to find out what was wrong once they were back in the common room.

But they weren't there when Lily got back. They had left at the same time, but the boys were nowhere to be found by the time she climbed through the portrait hole. Unsure of what else to do, she picked up her book and waited for them to walk in.

Two hundred and seventy-nine pages later, they still weren't back. Checking the clock, she saw that it was nearly midnight and having just finished the reading material that had been keeping her occupied, she would surely fall asleep. Giving up, she hauled herself upstairs and collapsed into her bed, drifting into unconsciousness.

Lily had memorized the dream. The pine trees and orange grove had grown to be her second world, and the only thing that was really ever different was the laundry lady's clothes. Excusing the one snowy occurrence, the scene never changed.

Every time, she would appear next to James. He'd smile down at her, his eyes shimmering with golden flecks, and pick her an orange. They would make their way slowly through the lines of trees, and James would make every pun about fruit and trees as any one person can make. They'd reach the small cottage where the little old lady was hanging laundry, and she'd invite them in for tea. James would lead her inside and they would have a lovely chat with the woman, before returning to the orchard. For the remainder of the dream, all they would do is cloud gaze, pointing out funny-looking shapes and talking about unimportant affairs.

And when she woke up and the scenery and smells fizzled away, she was always left wanting a few more minutes. She couldn't, try as she might, figure out why. It's not like they did anything relevant while they were there, or talked about anything of interest. It was just… nice. Nice to be in a place where Lily didn't have to worry about anything, or have anywhere else to be. It was, to put it simply, her safe spot.

If she could only riddle out why James was there, too.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, Dorcas is** ** _supposed_** **to be acting like a clingy fangirl. All part of the plan. :) A whole lot of nothing happened in this chapter, and I actually don't like it much. It's also a tad on the short side, for which I apologize. I assure you, the next one has LESS depression and obsession and MORE Jily moments and plot development. (Let's be real here, we're all here for Jily.)**


	10. Ten: Sirius The Owl

**Okie! Clearing things up tiiiime is down below in the A/N.**

 **Key:**

 **Lily's Mother:** _Italic._

 **Lily's Father: Bold**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Ten: Sirius The Owl_

* * *

Sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was proving to be more stressful than all the previous combined. With multiple homework assignments handed out daily and fast-paced lectures about complicated spells, she didn't understand how anyone found the time do much of anything else. What astounded her most was James. She never once saw him take any notes in class and it seemed he was off at Quidditch practice more often than not, yet he received nearly perfect marks. How he not only managed to complete his papers by the deadline and have time to be seen regularly goofing off with his friends in the common room but also earned respectable grades was beyond Lily, and it'd put her in a rather belligerent mood.

It also didn't help that while James held on to his impressive marks, Lily had seen her own start to slip. More and more of her O's were turning to E's, and she'd even collected one or two A's. It wasn't for lack of effort; she'd recently started skipping meals to finish assignments, or holing herself up in bed on weekends to try and catch up. The material was getting difficult, and Lily found herself confused as her teachers were talking.

After an excessive amount of nagging from her friends, they'd finally convinced her to move her studies down to the common room. She was frustratedly looking over her Transfiguration textbook, searching for anything that would aid her in the enormous werewolf essay she was struggling to complete. She scanned the pages, her eyes flitting over various anatomy drawings and useless facts until she let out a thwarted grunt and snapped it closed, shoving it roughly away from her. Glaring down at the paper, she balled her hands into fists and sank lower into her chair. She desperately needed help, as the library had failed her miserably, but she'd rather jump from the astronomy tower than admit it.

"I've finished mine. Do you want to have a look at it, Lily?" offered Marlene cautiously. Lily had been very short-tempered as of late, and her friends had begun to use a soothing tone of voice when addressing her, which of course irked her even more. Lily shifted her scowl to Marlene, who looked as if she already regretted saying anything.

" _No,_ " hissed Lily, and Marlene shrank back.

The weather also hadn't been helping her mood. Cold and grey, it seemed as if the whole world was determined to suck all her happiness away. Hearing the shuffling footsteps of people coming through the portrait hole, she turned irately to see who it was. Remus, Peter, Sirius, and James were all laughing jovially together as they entered the common room, and they looked like they didn't have a care in the world. She turned irritably back to her homework, trying to push their untroubled chuckling from her mind as she concentrated on her assignment. She read the prompt over again silently.

 _Why don't werewolves transform back into human form when the moon is covered by clouds?_

Lily battled through a few more lines before she heard more people join her at the table. Glancing up to see the four smiling boys, she exhaled and brought her eyes quickly back down to her paper.

"Is that the werewolf essay?" said Peter curiously, peering over to her work. She shot him an annoyed look and tried to keep writing. "I finished that."

" _Brilliant,_ " said Lily scathingly. She could hear the fury in own her voice, though she hadn't meant to place it there. Why had everyone finished the work but her? All eyes now on her, she stared down at her parchment, her mind once again coming to a blank.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Evans," said Sirius sweetly. She took a deep, calming breath, ignored his comment, and stopped herself from pulling out her wand to jinx him. "Look at that! No comeback! I reckon she's _furious._ " She could practically see his pretentious smirk, but her eyes never wavered from the parchment.

"Do you need help? I can show you mine, if you like—" started Remus, pulling his bag onto his lap and searching for his own essay.

"You know what?" interrupted Lily, standing up quickly and pulling out her wand to instruct the work and supplies back into her bag, since they weighed almost as much as she did. "I'm hungry. I'm going down to see if dinner is still being served." She left her loaded bag in a heap by her chair and turned on her heel, marching across the room and out the door. Lily fully intended to go down to eat, but she wasn't even halfway to the Great Hall before James caught her arm, pulling her to a stop.

She had obediently halted, but James still had let go of her hand. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but because she was already in an irritable mood, she didn't feel like dealing with him. She tried to pry her hand away, but he had a firm hold on her. So, she pulled out her wand and used his still-clutched fingers to yank him closer. Shoving the tip of her wand under his chin, she glared at him menacingly.

"I'll hex you," whispered Lily, seething. James grinned, and squeezed her hand tighter. " _Titillando._ " She'd been wanting to try out that particular hex for quite some time, ever since she'd learned it weakened the target by _tickling_ them.

Immediately, his hand shot away. Shrieking and squealing with laughter, he hunched over. Both his hands searched aimlessly for the invisible tickling culprit, though his palms found nothing put empty air. His laugh was, unlike usual, high-pitched and frantic as he tried to put a stop to the effects of Lily's hex. She would had been amused at the sound if it had not been for the anger still pulsing through her, though it did help to lessen her rage. Flicking her wand lazily and muttering the countercurse, James toppled to the ground, panting. Sucking in air and recovering, Lily was amazed to find a wide smile still gracing his lips.

"Well," gasped James. "You _did_ warn me." The corners of Lily's mouth turned up, though she quickly hid it and scowled down at him. Spinning around again, she resumed her surly walk down the hallway. Behind her, she heard James scramble to his feet, and rolled her eyes as he reached her again. Lily stopped abruptly and glared at him.

" _What?_ " said Lily harshly, crossing her arms and awaiting his response.

"Oh, er," stammered James, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, you're, um. You're smart. At least, that's what I'm told." Lily raised her eyebrows. "B-but my sources are very reliable! So, you're smart! A-and you're, er, well, um—"

"Spit it out!" exclaimed Lily, her patience ebbing. If this was his way of trying to comfort her over the fact her marks were slipping, Lily wasn't so far impressed.

"I need… help," mumbled James, looking down at his shoes.

"I already knew that."

"No, with school."

Lily blinked. James had perfect marks. He was, still to her fury, outperforming her in every class, save potions.

"Muggle Studies. We have an essay about the moon, and… I haven't been, well…" James smirked. "I haven't been the most _attentive_ student."

Lily snorted. Him asking for her help might have been the one thing that could've effectively cheered her up. "The moon? That sounds more like astronomy."

"The moon _landing,_ I think. With… ah, who was it? Nell Armstrength?" said James.

" _Neil Armstrong?_ " said Lily incredulously, a grin sneaking its way onto her face.

"That's the one!" said James. Snickering, Lily accepted his request for assistance, and they decided to meet up and work on the essay the next weekend. If only James knew anything about werewolves….

By the time Friday rolled around Lily was very nearly begging for the merciful release of death. Her classes had somehow doubled the workload and tripled the difficulty, and she hadn't slept in two days for fear of falling even farther behind. She knew that she ought to sleep, but the weight of both the pressure of her classes and her bag drove her to walk sluggishly to the library. Finding a sunlit table, she collapsed in the chair and heaved her work onto the surface, pulling out her quill and parchment.

She fought through the remainder of her lamentable dementor paper, and pulled it down once she'd finished to reread it. Lily found herself growing weary as she looked over her assignment, and thought briefly that she might fall asleep where she sat. Fortunately, Markus had impeccable timing, and joined Lily at the table, giving her a quick kiss.

"Hi!" greeted Markus cheerily. "How's it coming?" He jerked his finger towards the parchment, and Lily grunted morosely in response. He chuckled. "That good?"

She sighed sleepily and rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes drifting closed. She leaned on him peacefully for a few minutes, which didn't help her drowsy mood. Falling dangerously close to sleep, her stillness was interrupted by two familiar laughs, and she reluctantly opened her eyes to see James and Sirius joining her and her boyfriend at the table. Sirius eyed Markus skeptically, then turned his gaze to Lily.

"You look awful, Evans," said Sirius brusquely, and she noticed that James's eyes snapped instantly to Sirius, wearing a slightly vexed expression.

"Gee, thanks," said Lily. Sirius smirked gleefully and relaxed into his chair, tipping it back until it was only supported by two of the legs. She gloomily took out another piece of parchment, starting on her Potions essay. She knew what she was writing most likely made no sense, seeing as she couldn't think straight with the sleep-induced haze hovering over her, but lousy work was better than none at all.

She stuck with that mentality for three more essays. The sun had gone down, and Markus had left to go… somewhere. Lily could not, for the life of her, recall where he'd said he was going, but she remembered that she'd just nodded vaguely and he'd departed. Sirius and James were, surprisingly, still sitting next to Lily when she finally decided she'd gotten enough work done and shoved her work back into her bag. She took a few moments to clear her head.

"Prongs, can we go now?" whined Sirius, pouting. The boredom that showed on his face reminded her of a neglected puppy. The corners of James's mouth twitched, and his eyes slid to hers.

"We can help you back to the common room, if you need," offered James. She felt as if she could barely stand, let alone navigate the halls by herself, so she begrudgingly accepted his proposition. Sirius grabbed her bag and slung it over his shoulder, marching ahead of James, who had opted to help Lily to her feet.

"Why did you stay so long? Black looked bored out of his mind," said Lily.

"We were working," defended James.

"You were throwing paper airplanes at first years," said Lily pointedly.

"You didn't let me finish! We working _on our aim,_ " said James cheerfully. Lily snorted in disapproval.

Just as she had thought, walking was a challenge. While she wasn't tripping every other second, it happened enough that she permitted him to keep a hold on her in case she fell. With one of his hands wrapped lightly around her arm, she finally made it to the common room, feeling ready to fall asleep where she stood. Not knowing or caring where her bag was, she mumbled a, "Thank you." to James and wobbled her way up the stairs. Reaching her bed but not bothering to change, she toppled onto her mattress and sank into her cushions, slipping into sleep instantly.

It would have been stranger for James to have been absent from her dreams.

-::-

She woke to the sound of a slamming door, and stomping footsteps approaching her. Cracking her eyes open, she saw a furious Dorcas storming over to the bed next to her own, clenching her fists. She stood between her and Lily's bed for a few livid moments before she turned sharply and punched her pillow, creating a sizable dent in it.

Rubbing her eyes and propping herself up a bit more, she yawned. Dorcas turned, the fire in her eyes somewhat lessening. "Did I wake you?" said Dorcas. Lily smiled.

"It's fine," said Lily. "What's the matter?"

Her eyes darkened again, and rage filled her voice. "He _promised_ me."

"Please be _less_ descriptive," said Lily. Usually she would have been more sensitive, but she still hadn't fully woken up, and she didn't feel like deciphering cryptic messages.

"Sirius! He promised me he wouldn't… no. You know what? No, I'm not going to be one of those girls!" exclaimed Dorcas, and Lily sighed. Again with the vague declarations. Dorcas shot her glance. "One those girls who gets 'Humped and Dumped', and then whines about it."

"Not to sound crass, but… what were you expecting?" said Lily. "You know how he is."

"I just thought I could—"

"Please don't say change him."

"Fine," Dorcas sighed and plopped down on her mattress, flinging her arms out and relaxing. "I thought I could… I dunno. It doesn't matter now, anyway. He's gone and shagged Lyra Brunlow."

"He gave you up for that slag?" said Lily incredulously. She actually though Lyra to be quite a pleasant girl, and rather enjoyed being in her company, but she wasn't about to say that to her distressed friend.

"Whatever," said Dorcas. "It's done."

"No it most certainly is _not!_ " cried Lily, jumping from her bed. Dorcas lifted her head and looked at her questioningly. "You made us follow that wanker all around the castle! Are you telling me all that was for, what, a bit of snogging? No. We're going to destroy that boy."

Dorcas sat up. "I have no idea where you're going with this, but I'm on board!" Lily pumped her fist in the air, and they skipped breakfast to start working on their revenge plan.

-::-

When Lily was nine years old, she and her family had gathered around their little television to watch the rocket shoot into space. Her father had always been the kind of person to stay up after the rest of the neighborhood had gone to bed and look at the constellations, and Lily had always been the kind of daughter to join him. Every Sunday, after Petunia had closed herself up in her room and her mother had tucked herself in bed, Lily and John would sneak out, retrieve the ladder, and climb onto the roof. Laying side by side, he would tell her the stories of the stars and show her the pictures they created. Orion was her favorite. He was a strong and brave hunter, but consumed by his ego. He thought he could defeat anyone and anything, but was ultimately killed by a tiny scorpion. He also had a dog named Sirius. She was cross when she learned the arrogant, long-haired boy who annoyed her constantly was named _Sirius Orion_ Black, so she had resigned to calling him by his last name only.

She thought about those nights as she waited for James who was, like always, late.

 _Is it so hard to be on time?_ though Lily irritably. She hated being late, but was even more angry when someone else caused her to be tardy. _What could he possibly be doing, anyway? Flexing in the mirror? Or perhaps coming up with new pickup lines. Maybe—_

Lily's theories were interrupted when he sauntered through the door. His hair was just as disheveled as usual, and he hadn't bothered to wear his robes. The white shirt he had on was wrinkled, and the top quarter wasn't buttoned. With his glasses slightly crooked and his tie loosely knotted he looked, quite honestly, like he'd just been shagged. She had to look twice to make sure of it, but his feet were bare.

Searching the room, his usual smirk greeted her as his eyes found her. Making his way over to her, she braced herself. Judging by his overconfident demeanor and arrogant grin, she'd have to deal with James at his cockiest, which she was not looking forward to. He seated himself next to her and put one arm around the backrest.

"Evans, you look absolutely stunning this morning," said James with a wink. She stared at him, realizing that those were almost the exact same words that the strange talking parchment had said to her. The magic was spot on. What were they, again? _Positively gorgeous on this fine morning._ With all the schoolwork that she'd been assigned, giving it back had completely slipped her mind.

She decided to ignore his comment. "Why are you late?" she snapped, and noticed that he also didn't have any supplies for writing an essay.

"Blindingly beautiful, you are," said James, avoiding the question. Lily sighed and pulled out her own materials so they could begin.

"The thing you lost," said Lily, trying to seem nonchalant. "You know, your 'baby'. Ever find it?" James looked caught off guard by her sudden inquiry, and hesitated before answering.

"Er, no," said James tersely, his smirk faltering.

"What was it again?" said Lily.

"Oh… nothing. It wasn't important," said James.

"Alright. So it's okay if I throw out your talking parchment, then, since you won't be needing it?" James eyes became panicked, and he grabbed her arm in desperation.

"NO!" yelled James. Lily jumped at his reaction. The librarian shot them a dirty look, and Lily mouthed an apology. "I-I mean… please don't toss it!" he implored in a quieter tone.

Lily snickered. She'd never seen him so frantic. "Merlin, calm down. I'll give it back," she assured him. He exhaled in relief and released her to relax back into his chair.

" _If,_ " she continued. "You tell me what it does." His eyes snapped back to meet hers, though they looked significantly calmer.

He was silent for a moment, then said in a tone that almost convinced her, "It insults whoever tried to read it."

She shook her head. "Brilliant. Now, how about the truth?" said Lily unbelievingly.

"That _is_ the truth!" insisted James.

"Potter, you looked like I'd just told you I was going to slice your wand in half. No one is that invested in some mediocre insults."

"I…" he trailed off, and looked down at the table. "I can't." said James.

"You _can't?_ " repeated Lily suspiciously.

"You'd have to ask the other Marauders. _I'm_ fine with you knowing, but I know for a fact that Padfoot will be _doggedly_ against letting you in on it," said James and he smirked again. The grin he wore looked to her like some incredible joke was made, but nothing humorous from the sentence came to mind.

"And what if I ask, and they're all fine with it?" said Lily.

"I'll show you myself."

"Promise?"

"I solemnly swear, my darling."

She gave him a funny look for his odd phrasing, but trusted him and nodded. "Right. So, the moon landing!" said Lily. She sent him to fetch a Muggle Studies textbook from one of the shelves, and waited for him to return. He came back with three books weighing him down, and she watched him in amusement as he heaved them onto the table. Panting, he spread them out.

"There's this thing I keep hearing about," said Lily, doing her best to contain a giggle. "It's supposed to help you carry heavy things."

He perked up, looking to her with sudden interest. "Oh? What is it?"

" _Magic,_ you bloody idiot. Honestly," she said, and she let out her laugh. He frowned at her as she used her wand to flip the books open to the right pages.

She helped him through his essay line by line. He was hopelessly confused by muggle objects, and had to ask her to repeat what she'd said many times. Between his flirty mood and incessant questions, they weren't getting much done. While they were working, the clouds finally gave way, and an enormous storm broke loose. The two of them could hear the wind whistling in the trees and the rain beating against the windows. When they came to the section dedicated to space shuttles and space agencies, James let out a snort.

"What?" said Lily, leaning over to see what he was reading.

"Nothing. Just, for the record, I am _not_ inheriting enough money to 'buy out NASA'," he said, quoting her letter. She chuckled, taking in the slightly annoyed expression he wore. "Stop that! I'm not _that_ rich!"

"Well, clearly. Otherwise you would've done something about your hair ages ago," teased Lily, and he crossed his arms, glaring at her.

"Uncalled for, Evans. I've been nothing but polite!" said James, a mock look of hurt on his face.

"I've caught you staring at my arse four times," said Lily pointedly.

"What can I say? It's a very nice arse," he said, grinning. He caught her hand mid-air as she made to slap him, weaving their fingers together. He'd been using that move quite often lately, but Lily hadn't yet learned to just use magic. "C'mon, Evans. Date me."

She tried to squirm her hand free, but he had a firm hold on it. She scowled at him, snatching her wand from her pocket and pressing it under his chin. "I won't ask twice," she warned.

He let go of her, and she looked angrily back down at the textbook. She shoved her hands into her pockets. He studied her. "Y'know," said James. "I used to think you were just playing hard to get."

Lily snorted. "Well, you were wrong." He was silent for a few more seconds, staring at her intensely. Lily kept her eyes trained determinedly on the pages.

"Why do you hate me so much?" said James quietly, and Lily looked up to find sincerity in his eyes. He looked… broken. Drained of the happiness that usually accompanied him, he matched the weather. His sudden changed of mood threw Lily, and she stumbled over her words.

"I-I don't… _hate_ you," she stuttered.

He laughed coldly. "Oh, come on. I'm not allowed in the hospital room after you're _attacked—_ "

"I didn't tell them not to let you in!"

"You test new hexes on me, you _recoil_ from me — don't try to deny it!" he added when she opened her mouth to protest. "You've hated me for _years_. And…" here his voice shook, though from anger or sadness she couldn't tell, and he took a deep breath. "And I know that before it was because I was a prick. I know that. But… I've been nicer this year, haven't I? I've not jinxed anyone for the fun of it, or asked you out in public, and I really did just want someone to talk to in detention! Lily, I've been driving myself mad trying to work out what I've done to make you hate me this year. Was it the letters? I'll stop making puns, if you like. I can bust into Dumbledore's office and erase your detention from the records, if it bothers you that much! I'll wear a hat if my hair annoys you. I'll tell you every secret I've ever kept. I'll punch Padfoot in the nose every time he snogs anyone but Dorcas. I'll fail every class so you can outperform me. I'll quit Quidditch. Just, for the love of Merlin _tell me what I've done,_ so I can fix it!" His eyes pleaded with her, begged her to ease his conscience of his speculations.

She stared at him in stunned silence. James looked completely and entirely destroyed. All traces of the smile he wore mere minutes ago were wiped away, and replaced by a dejected frown. His eyebrows were pulled together and his eyes possessed a sort of desperate, heartbroken quality Lily had never seen anyone feature before. He looked defeated.

"I…" she began, but had not idea where to go from there. She had told him the truth; she didn't — she had never — _hated_ him. She thought him to be a haughty boy with no concern for how his actions affected those around him, but over the few months of sixth year she'd seen a new side to him, and he was right. He hadn't jinxed anyone, or embarrassed her by asking her out publicly. James cared about his friends in a way Lily had not experienced before. He was fiercely loyal and would defend them until his dying breath. James had changed, but she had not. She had remained just as against him as ever. She felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't even given their friendship a chance. Granted, his constant flirting didn't help, but he was, at least, trying. "I'm sorry," she managed to stutter.

"You haven't done a thing," said Lily, still unable to meet his eyes. She didn't want to see the hurt and pain that might still be lingering in them. "I wasn't lying. I thought you were a bit chauvinistic, but I didn't hate you. I've never _hated_ you. I just… I have no idea how to phrase this nicely, so I'll just say it. Severus and I were best friends, and you _tormented_ him. And I know you'll say that he deserved it, and I know you've changed, but you can't just go from being the person who _tortured_ my best friend every day _to_ my best friend overnight. Give me a little time to cross the distance, okay?" Finally bringing her eyes back up, she saw that James's expression was completely blank. It was unreadable, and he nodded slowly, processing her words.

"Okay," he said quietly. "Just promise me you'll try."

Lily gave him a small smile, and nodded. He returned her smile, and they went back to work on his essay, much more reserved than before. Lily had a feeling the librarian would think twice about letting them back in after the rather loud discussion they'd just had.

"Oh, and our parchment's insults are better than _mediocre,_ " said James, giving her an amused glance.

"Fine, but they're not very creative."

"That is deeply offensive, Evans."

"It said I was a hothead and that my boyfriend sucks. Oh, and it whined at me to give it back to you."

James laughed, and winced a little. "Really? We can do better than _that,_ surely…."

-::-

Though they didn't finish the assignment, Lily walked down to dinner with James feeling better than when she arrived. She felt sure that the expression she'd been so stumped by was just him, trying to work out why she didn't like him. Now that the big mystery had been solved, she felt more at ease. He must have, too, because he was practically skipping as they entered the Great Hall. Finding a seat next to Dorcas and Remus, she squeezed in.

With just one look at the long-haired Gryffindor, Lily felt her rage rise up. Reminding herself of the plan she and Dorcas had concocted, she pushed down her anger and smiled a Sirius cheerily, though she wasn't sure how convincing she was.

Since Dorcas was already chatting to Marlene, Lily turned to talk to Remus. They debated for a bit the best order to complete essays and then books they recommend. Lily noticed that he seemed… different. He was paler than usual, and he had bags under her eyes. He seemed jumpy, and nervous; two things Remus Lupin was not. Lily credited most of this to the amount of work they'd been given, but there was still something not quite right with him.

She dismissed it, and joined in on James and Peter's conversation. For the most part, she just listened and chuckled whenever one of them made a ridiculous point. She was focusing on not looking at Sirius, for fear of him seeing through her forced friendliness, until Peter raised one of his hands up to scratch his head.

"Peter!" Lily exclaimed, and his eyes shot to hers in surprise. "Your arm!" His sleeve had fallen past his elbow, revealing a large gash trailing from his forearm to just above where the hem of his sleeve had stopped. The area around it was purple and agitated, and it looked incredibly painful. Peter quickly pushed his robes back up his arm, laughing nervously.

"N-nothing!" he assured her, but she didn't believe him for a second.

"What happened? How did you get that?!" said Lily.

"I didn't! I mean, er, it's not that bad—"

" _Not that bad?!_ Have you been to Madam Pomfrey?"

"Er, no, but—" said Peter, and Sirius put his head in his hands. James sighed, and Remus rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

"YOU HAVEN'T?!" screeched Lily, and other students' heads turned to see what she was yelling about.

"Lily," said Remus quietly, eyeing the other pupils. "We've got it under control."

"YOU'VE GOT — oomf!" said Lily, but she found that her tongue was suddenly stuck to the roof of her mouth. She spotted Sirius tucking his wand back into his robes, and finally let out the piercing glare she'd been wanting to give him.

"Evans," said Sirius calmly, meeting her glower evenly. "Keep you voice down." She yanked out her own wand, and remembered with a sinking feeling that she was no good at nonverbal spells. Wand halfway out, she glanced at Dorcas, who muttered the countercurse for her. Her tongue dropped back to the bottom of her mouth.

She had no intent of letting Sirius go without a hexing, but before she could do anything of the sort, she head a small voice from behind her.

"L-Lily Evans?" stammered a frightened first year. Lily stared at the boy and nodded, and he presented an envelope. "F-for you." She yanked it from his hands, and he scurried away. Flipping it over, she recognized her mother's handwriting on the front, and tore it open. Her parents wrote on Sundays. Not Saturdays. Something was wrong. She wrenched the letter out of it's package, and her eyes devoured the page.

 _Dear Lily,_

 _It's your father. He collapsed again. He's okay, we rushed him to the ER. The hospital wants to keep him there for a few days, to make sure he hasn't gotten worse. Me and Tuney will send you updates, though I'm not sure how long she can stand being around the owl. We let John name him. Sirius The Owl. Sirius The Owl Evans. He said that it was very important that I include that. We love you. He's going to alright, I just know it._

 _Love,_

 _Mom and Petunia._

 **P.S. Orion's dog, get it? As an owl? Sirius The Owl! -Dad**

Lily looked up to see Sirius The Owl soaring back out of the window. She read the letter three times more. Her friends were looking at her intently, but Lily didn't feel like answering their questions. Looking straight at Sirius The Lying Bastard, she said, "Why'd you have to go and ruin Sirius _and_ Orion?" and rose from the table. Walking numbly back to her common room, she sat by the window, and found Orion's picture among the stars.

Only this time, she was alone.

* * *

 **A/N: Clearing up tiiiime will now begin: Not all of Lily's theories are correct, so don't automatically assume everything she thinks is true. She's wrong, sometimes! :) Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled A/N!**

 **Careful James, your love is showing… *cough*** ** _James knows a little something about werewolves, Lily._** ***cough* You may think that my puns are bad, but trust me; they are** ** _much,_** ** _much_** **, worse in real life.**


	11. Eleven: A Mouse, A Deer, and A Wolf

**I actually sort of hate Sirius the Owl. Dunno what I was thinking, that was just dumb. Perhaps you should tell me what you think in a** ** _REVIEW_** **(hint hint). Seriously, I'd really love to know how you feel about this. Even more so how you're perceiving the characters, because I'm trying to make a select and secret few act/come off as in a very certain way, so you leaving a review letting me know how** ** _you_** **see them would be beyond helpful! Plus, I love reading what you guys think so far! :)**

 **I really like writing Paper James, so here he is again.**

 **James: Bold.**

 **Lily:** _Italicized._

 **Sirius:** _Italicized and Underlined._

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Eleven: A Mouse, A Deer, and A Wolf_

* * *

Lily had always known her father was going to die someday. Kids are _supposed_ to outlive their parents, but every time he was readmitted to hospital she would feel the same rush of panic. With every reassuring letter from her mother, along with the occasional and brief update from Petunia, she knew he was slowly inching closer towards death. Though her mother's words were soothing and she appreciated them, it was her sister's clarity that gave her a realistic idea of what was really going on. From the terse letters Petunia had sent when her mother was unable to write, Lily had learned that her father's cancer had, in fact, gotten worse. The hospital had only let him go back home because there wasn't anything more they could do. He had, from the doctors' estimate, no more than five years.

She'd been doing better ever since the letter arrived that contained a photograph of her parents in the park close to her house. They looked happy, and were smiling at the camera. It reminded her that this had been the routine ever since third year, and that he was still the John Evans she knew and loved. She knew that by Christmas he would be back to normal, and would be at the platform to greet her when she got off the train.

The panic and frenzy of the whole ordeal was over in little more than a few weeks. Within that time, several other things had been happening, other than her father's health problems.

The first being that Markus had started to hang out with her and her friends more, though Silenus and Ingrid had chosen not to join him. Since he was a Slytherin, and her own common room was out of the question, they usually gathered in the library or Great Hall between meals and classes. James and Sirius had been skeptical of his presence at first, positive that he had been sent by his house to spy on them. That had changed after, upon spotting Mulciber and Avery smirking in Lily's direction, James and Markus simultaneously drew their wands. With their combined power, they managed to secure the two Slytherin boys spots in the hospital wing for a whole day. Lily suspected that while they may not like him much, they at least respected him after that.

The second thing was the Marauder's refusal to provide an acceptable explanation as to where Peter's gash came from. She'd also discovered that Sirius had acquired multiple large bluish-yellow bruises along his collarbone. She couldn't pinpoint exactly where James's aliment was located, but he winced every time he lifted an arm above his head, so Lily guessed that he'd pulled a muscle somewhere in his torso. She was worried about him, but couldn't help but be amused when he tried to reach up to ruffle his hair, and ended up whimpering instead. Remus looked perfectly fine, although Lily remembered that he did look odd on the night of the letter.

The third and final matter was that Lily had still been unable to discover the Marauders' strange paper's secret capabilities. She'd handed it back to Sirius just after dinner — when he was happiest — but his mood had immediately turned sour. Before Lily had a chance to question it's purpose, he'd snatched it up and stomped up to the boys' dormitory without another word. And so she was left to try to weasel it out of one of the other boys.

Since she had rounds with Remus, she planned to ask him first. If he didn't confess, she'd move on to Peter, since he was usually the first to arrive at breakfast and was very scatterbrained before nine in the morning. If, after all that, she still hadn't received an explanation, she'd try Sirius, though she doubted he'd tell her a thing.

Professor Mcgonagall's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she saw the teacher glaring furiously at Sirius and James who, Lily assumed, had been talking.

"Am I interrupting your conversation with my lecture?" said Professor Mcgonagall scathingly.

"Just a bit," said Sirius, giving her a innocent smile.

"Detention. For you, and Mr. Potter," said Mcgonagall. "And don't even think about not showing up — I'll dock fifty points _each,_ and you'll be suspended from the Quidditch team, Potter." While they usually seemed to take pride in receiving detentions, the looks on their faces turned instantly to alarm.

"But—" started James, shocked.

"It's not up for debate!"

"We can't—" tried Sirius desperately.

"Ten points from Gryffindor. Would you like to make that twenty?" said Mcgonagall, raising an eyebrow, challenging them to speak again. The gave each other frantic looks, but remained silent. As Professor Mcgonagall resumed her instruction, Lily saw James throw Peter an anxious glance. From beside him, Sirius yanked a piece of parchment from his bag. His eyes began to search the room until, to Lily's surprise, they met hers. He stared at her for a few moments, before muttering something she had no chance of hearing and scribbling something down on the paper in front of him. She sighed, and knew what was coming next.

Sure enough, when she looked down at her previously note-covered paper, Sirius's tight cursive was all that she found.

 _Get us out of detention._

She scowled, glaring at the back of his head. Over the past month, he'd proven himself to be quite indecisive. One day, he'd have been with Dorcas all day, and the next he'd have shagged someone else. They certainly weren't a couple — they never cuddled by the fire or held hands on their way to class — but they kept finding their way back to each other. And it was Lily's duty, as Dorcas's mate, to hate him when he snogged someone else and love him once he'd returned to her good graces. Sometimes she'd have to go from one to the other multiple times in one day, and it was exhausting her.

 _Bugger off._

She waited in annoyance for his reply, and after a few seconds his writing appeared again. Sirius had a tendency to wait at least twenty seconds before writing back, whereas James usually responded immediately, and it drove her mad.

 _Just this once._

 _Absolutely not. You were talking. You deserve it._

She tapped her foot irritably as she waited for him to respond, and tried to recall how she should feel about him at the moment. As far as she could remember, Dorcas wouldn't feel appalled and betrayed by the fact that she was talking to him, so she settled on liking him.

 _We can't go. We have a thing._

 _Cancel it, then._

She looked around the room as he took his time to reply. She really preferred talking to James. There wasn't a waiting period in between sentences.

 _It's not the sort of thing you can cancel._

 _I don't care. I'm not bailing you out._

Twenty seconds of peering around the room aimlessly.

 _I'll write your animagus essay if you do._

 _I don't_ want _you to write my animagus essay. You know less than me._

Twenty seconds of watching Sirius nudge James, and seeing the two of them snickering at her apparently hilarious reply.

 _I'll get Remus to write your animagus essay._

 _Just go to detention and be done with it! I don't need help with my essays!_

Twenty seconds later came the response.

 _You could use the help…_

 _What is that supposed to mean?!_

After waiting double the time and still no reply, she added, _Hand it to Potter!_ Almost instantly, his messy scrawl appeared on the page.

 **You beckoned?**

 _What's wrong with my essays?!_

 **Nothing, I'm sure. Padfoot's just bored. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, what are your thoughts on getting us out of detention? Pretty please, Evans?**

 _Dunno… is there a cherry on top?_

 **'Course!**

 _Hmm… no._

 **But… Evans. The cherry…. Does the cherry mean nothing to you?**

 _This is why_ I _bargain with Evans, Prongs. See, the Black household is already used empty promises and broken dreams, so you should really let me handle this._

 _And I thought Potter was dramatic._

 **I know, right? Really, though — we can't go to detention tonight.**

 _So I've been told, but I'm still not getting you out of it._

 **Evansss. (Please read that in my whiniest voice.)**

 _Potterrr. (The same to you.)_

 _Blackkk. (Am I helping yet Prongs?)_

 **Padfoot shush! I'm trying to flirt our way out of detention!**

 _What — I'm not flirting with you!_

 **Right, right. ;)**

 _Don't_ winky face _me! I'm not!_

Before James had a chance to respond, Mcgonagall cleared her throat, causing all three of them to look up from the parchment on which they were writing. "I'm _sure_ you've been taking diligent notes on that paper of yours, Potter, so it should be no trouble for you to tell me why Patronuses and Animagi animals are often the same, no?"

James grinned innocently. "Of course, Professor. Patronuses represent hidden aspects of the castor's personality. Well, they're not always so hidden, but Patronuses often reveal the witch or wizard's true nature or desire. Animagi work similarly, and are closely linked to the person's character. Who you are and your personality are fairly similar, so the resulting animals are often the same," said James, without a moment of hesitation. Mcgonagall stared at him, looking slightly annoyed.

"Excellent," said Professor Mcgonagall, pursing her lips. With James still smiling angelically up at her, she resumed her lesson. She stared a the back of James's messy head. Since when did he pay attention in class?

 **Back to flirting, then? You look absolutely breathtaking today. Really — I'm gasping for air.**

 _Where the bloody hell did that come from?!_

 **Evans, I've been flirting with you for nearly five years now, it's not exactly out of the blue.**

 _Slow, this one. Fit, but slow._

 _Takes one to know one Black, and I meant the sudden textbook quote you just pulled out of nowhere!_

 **Oh, that? I just know some stuff.**

 _That was nearly word for word from "A Guide To Advanced Transfiguration"._

 **I find it interesting, that's all.**

 _Why? Animagi are useless._

 _You little—_

The writing was suddenly smeared across the page, and Lily looked up to find James trying to yank the quill from Sirius's hands. The wrestling, which was causing quite a disturbance, made Professor Mcgonagall once again turn around to stare at the two boys. Lily expected her to be furious, but instead she just looked vexed. She crossed her arms, and tapped her foot as she waited for the boys to finish. With a few more grunts and shoves, they looked up to find her glaring at them, and immediately scrambled back into their seats. They didn't move a muscle as she continued to frown at them.

"You two are dismissed from my class. Perhaps next time you'll pay less attention to Miss Evans, and concentrate harder on my lesson," said Mcgonagall, and Lily's cheeks grew hot. James and Sirius hesitated for a moment, having never been actually kicked out of class, before gathering their things and standing up. They shuffled out the door, and it was silent for the few moments before Mcgonagall restarted her lecture for the third time.

-::-

At dinner that night, Peter looked particularly anxious, and barely touched his food. Sirius looked positively furious, and kept throwing Lily withering glances from across the table. James, on the other hand, she couldn't read. At times he'd look angry, but as soon as she caught his eye he would smirk and wink at her, which only cemented Lily's decision that trying to identify his expressions was one of the most frustrating things a person could attempt.

Finally, after having had enough of the dirty looks Sirius was throwing her, she dropped her fork on her plate and glared at him.

"Right," said Lily. "Why are you glowering?" Sirius only scowled more.

"Oh, _nothing,_ " hissed Sirius. Remus rolled his eyes, and exchanged an exasperated look with James. Prior to their friendship, Lily had thought James to be the melodramatic one of the group, but she had quickly been proven wrong. "You're just an erroneous, callous, stubborn girl, you know that?"

Lily sighed. "And why's that?"

"Animagi aren't useless."

Lily let out a bark of laughter, causing Sirius to scowl more. " _That's_ why you're mad? What do you care?" said Lily.

"They've got loads of uses!" cried Sirius.

"Yeah? Name one."

"They…. Well, if you need to…" began Sirius.

"A disguise!" chirped Peter, and Sirius pointed to him.

"Yes! A disguise! Ha!" exclaimed Sirius triumphantly, giving her a jubilant grin.

"Name another."

Sirius and Peter looked to each other for help, but both remained silent.

"You can talk to animals if you're transformed," offered James, and Peter clapped victoriously.

"Brilliant. We've managed to scrounge up two mediocre benefits, but what about the process? It's completely ridiculous! To hold a _leaf_ in your mouth for an entire month, only to have to wait two more for the actual potion to be ready, _and_ recite an incantation every day? And the amount of things that could go wrong — I can't even name them all! So either your efforts are futile and you're horribly mangled for the rest of your life, or you're successful and… what? Can talk to your pets? It's impractical. A waste of time," declared Lily. All four of the Marauders looked as if they desperately wanted to say something, but none spoke. They were silent for the rest of dinner, and Lily was confident that she'd won the argument.

At six, she met Remus for their nightly rounds. As they crisscrossed the corridors and scolded the few other students they found for being out of bed, Lily wondered how to best go about asking him. Should she be blunt, or try a more subtle approach? She was sure he knew that she'd given it back, but didn't know if Sirius had supplied him with a false excuse for the parchment yet. Perhaps she should start there, with Sirius?

"So," said Lily and she jogged forward a little to keep up with him. The boy had such long legs! "What, er — How's… Sirius?"

He gave her a suspicious glance at her use of his first name. " _You_ want to know how _Sirius_ is?"

"Er, yeah."

He continued to look skeptically at her, before shaking his head slightly in confusion. "Well, he spotted a spider in our dorm last night, and asked me to kill it for him while he hid behind a bed."

"Really?" said Lily, grinning. She'd always pictured him to be the kind of person to squish bugs with their finger, not ask someone else to kill them.

"Yep. So Prongs _Engorgio-_ ed it. I'm actually surprised you didn't hear the shrieks of terror that ensued," said Remus, smiling. Lily chuckled. "But, that's not what you want to know, is it?"

Lily averted her gaze. "I don't—"

"I can't tell you what it does."

"But why not? Potter says it's fine if I know!" said Lily frustratedly.

"I don't really care if you find out either, I just can't tell you. Padfoot'd murder me. Get _his_ permission, and I'd be happy to spill. Oh, and Wormtail's got to say yes, though I'm sure he'll be okay with it, too," said Remus, giving her an apologetic look. She spent the rest of the night pleading him to give her hints, but he remained set in his decision to keep the secret, much to Lily's annoyance. When she returned to her common room she went straight to bed, wanting to get up early and have the chance to talk to Peter before the other Marauders arrived.

After she woke, shook her head to clear it of the lingering memory of the orchard's aroma, showered, and dressed, she hurried down to the Great Hall. She seated herself next to Peter, who was as sleepy as always.

"Good morning, Peter!" said Lily cheerily, certain that she could convince him to tell her the parchment's secrets. He grunted in response, chewing his eggs slowly, and with his eyes closed. "Lovely day, Saturday is. The best, don't you think?"

"Mhm," sighed Peter, blinking drowsily.

"I do wish that all this snow would go away. I mean," said Lily. "It makes the world look a whole lot more Christmas-y, but it's just so bloody cold."

Peter bobbed his head up and down, stabbing his omelet with his fork. "Did Sirius tell you I gave it back?" said Lily, peering at him.

"Give what back?" mumbled Peter.

"Oh, you know…" said Lily, trailing off in hopes of him finishing her sentence.

"The m—" he stopped halfway through his thought, opening his eyes and giving her an amused look. "Nice try," said Peter. Lily huffed, crossing her arms. "Really, you nearly had me. But I can't. Sorry."

" _Fine._ Would you be _all right_ with me knowing, 'cause Potter and Remus've said they are, and I just need your… permission, I suppose, before I ask Black," said Lily grumpily.

He chuckled, and Lily spotted Marlene making her way to the table. "Fine by me, but good luck convincing Padfoot," said Peter.

She ate her breakfast moodily and the others arrived at the table. Markus gave her a quick kiss in greeting before sitting as his house's table, and she eyed Sirius as he sat down with James. He seemed to be in a relatively good mood, with Dorcas sitting beside him and Peter and James giggling at his jokes, so Lily thought it would be a good idea to ask him later in the day, if she could corner him when he was alone. The only problem was, she couldn't remember the last time she'd _ever_ seen Sirius Black alone. There was, at all times, at least one other person beside him. She was so deep in thought trying to riddle out when to ask him, that she missed Mary's question.

Mary shoved her, and she was brought back to reality.

"W-what?" said Lily, confused.

"I _said,_ Do you want to come to Hogsmeade with me today. Everyone else has plans, but I really want to go to Zonko's," repeated Mary.

"Oh, sure. I can pick something up for my dad. He loves their things," said Lily, and Mary beamed.

Lily spent the hours before noon trying to get Sirius alone, which was easier said than done. When he wasn't with his friends, a rare occurrence to begin with, he'd find someone — anyone, really — to talk to. She watched him chat with everyone from first year Ravenclaws to seventh-year Hufflepuffs, waiting for him to be alone. Finally, just thirty minutes before she was supposed to leave with Mary, an opportunity presented itself.

Lily sat in the common room next to the fire, watching a very intense game of wizard's chess being played between James and Sirius, until James announced that he had to leave to meet Peter. Not noticing her sitting curled in the blankets, James whisked past her and out the door leaving Sirius, for the first time in hours, alone. He was rummaging through his untidy bag as Lily approached him, hunched over in his chair. His shirt didn't have one wrinkle, which puzzled her because she was certain he didn't care enough to iron it; magically or otherwise. His hair fell in front of his eyes as he searched the bag, and he glanced up at her as she sat down in the chair opposite him. Straightening slightly and letting the bag close, he blew the hair away from his face, and his eyes rested on Lily. His piercing, expectant stare was almost unsettling, as his eyes were almost colorless. Dark grey around the edges and lighter around the pupil, they seemed to suit his somber expression.

Suddenly he blinked, and smirked. "Marvelous, aren't they?" said Sirius. "Dorie says they match they sky when I'm outside." Lily looked at him in confusion. "That _is_ what you were looking at, right? My eyes?"

"Er, yes, but how—"

"Everyone looks at them," mumbled Sirius, shifting his grey orbs to the window. Fat snowflakes were falling from the sky, and she was beginning to have second thoughts about accompanying Mary to Hogsmeade. She didn't like the cold. "But that's probably not why you came over here, so spit it out."

"Right. So, your parchment," began Lily as Sirius's eyes snapped immediately back to hers, all traces of serenity gone from his gaze, replaced by a strange ferocity. "Remus and Peter've both said they're alright with me knowing. So has Potter—"

"Yes, well, why _wouldn't_ he be okay with _Lily Evans_ knowing his secret," spat Sirius, boiling rage dripping from his words. "And before you ask; _no._ I'm not okay with you knowing and, _no,_ you won't convince me otherwise!" He leaped up from the table, snatched up his bag, and stomped from the room. Lily stared after him in shock, mouth hanging slightly ajar. She hadn't expected it to go so badly. She hadn't even asked before he'd refused, but she believed him when he'd said she couldn't pursued him to tell her.

She sat in her chair for a while longer, watching the snow fall and wondering what could possibly be hidden away that was so important.

-::-

At noon, she and Mary shrugged on their snow coats, mittens, and hats — even though it had stopped snowing — and headed downstairs. Just as they were walking into the courtyard, Lily spotted Markus talking animatedly with a girl. She pulled Mary over to him, and he looked up as he saw her approach. He was miffed about something, but kissed her cheek as she came to stand next to him. Turning to the small, brown-haired girl, Lily recognized her as Sacharissa Prosser, his sister. She looked indifferent, with her arms crossed and one hip out. A black and yellow scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck, and her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail. She noticed that her boyfriend's sister looked almost exactly like him; she had the same eyes, hair color, and nose as her brother. Looking Lily up and down with familiar blue eyes, she raised an eyebrow and scoffed. Lily blinked in surprise.

Sacharissa turned her doubtful look back to Markus. "You're such a hypocrite!" she snarled, gesturing to Lily. Lily gave Mary a confused glance.

"Sar, let's finish this later," urged Markus, glancing at Lily nervously and squeezing her hand.

"She's a _Gryffindor,_ " said Sacharissa maliciously. "And a _muggleborn!_ The only way you could've made a worse choice is if you dated an _actual_ muggle."

Lily's entire body tensed, and her hand closed instinctively around the wand in her pocket. With every fiber of her being, she was regretting walking over. Sneaking a look at Markus, she saw that he looked livid.

"Sacharissa, I said _drop it,_ " hissed Markus.

"No! We have one rule. One damn rule!" started Sacharissa.

"Not in front of—" tried Markus.

"No muggleborns!"

" _Enough!_ " shouted Markus, dropping her hand and drawing his wand. "You and I both know that it's _his_ rule, not _ours._ " Sacharissa looked at him silently, her expression blank.

"Fine. Do what you want," she said, glaring at him. "Drag her into your little revolt. I don't care anymore."

"It's not a revolt!" called Markus, but his sister had already disappeared back into the castle. Beside her, Mary looked extremely uncomfortable. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she stared down at her boots. "I— I'm _so_ sorry about her," said Markus indignantly, strangling his wand with his grip. "She…." Lily swallowed as he searched for the right words.

"Er, no, it's fine," said Lily, wondering how on earth the girl made it into Hufflepuff.

"No. It's absolutely not," protested Markus. "It's…. I'm sorry, I have to go — feel free to hex her the time you see the little blighter."

Lily forced herself to smile as he marched back into the castle in search of his sister, but it faded the instant he was out of sight. She and Mary stood in the snow in complete silence, watching a group of first years have a snowball fight, until Mary nudged her lightly and they continued down the path to Hogsmeade.

Before they reached the little town, Mary realized that she'd forgotten her money, and left a slightly annoyed Lily waiting in the snow to run back and fetch it. As Mary disappeared from sight, Lily sighed and looked around. They were halfway between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, where not much of anything lay. Dense forest was to the left and right of her, but it wasn't so thick that snow hadn't gotten through. She found a relatively dry rock, and advanced towards it. Resting her back against the large boulder, she thought about what Sacharissa had said, and what she could have possible meant by the 'one rule' the two of them were supposed to obey. Markus had argued that it wasn't their rule, but she had no idea who the 'he' could be.

There was something strange in the way Sacharissa had said 'muggleborn'. Usually, the word was laced with disgust, or hatred, but both had been absent when she'd said it. It had sounded more concerned than angry to Lily, but that only confused her more. She opened her eyes as something cold touched her nose. All around her, snow was silently fluttering down from the sky. She held out her mittened hand, catching a few flakes and bring them closer to look at.

She heard rustling behind her and turned her head to see who it was, expecting to see Mary returning from the castle. But her friend was nowhere to be seen on the path behind her. In fact, it was deadly quiet, and not a leaf moved, though that may have been due to that fact that they were frozen in place. Growing wary, she pulled her wand from her robes. Meticulously scanning every inch of the woods she could see. Her eyes found two eyes staring at her from within the shadows of the trees. Lily felt her heart beat faster and adrenaline rush to her body and she tried to remember every defensive spell she ever learned.

 _Impedimenta, Expelliarmus, Incarcerous, Confringo, Locomotor Mortis, Oppugno, Stupefy, Protego._ Lily repeated them over and over in her mind, and remained perfectly still as the eyes blinked. She stared, absolutely terrified, and noticed strange sticks coming from it's head. Squinting, she realized suddenly that it wasn't a dangerous attacker at all; it was a stag.

Feeling very foolish and grateful that nobody was around to see her mistake, she lowered her wand and relaxed against the rock once more. She watched as the creature slowly emerged from the trees, and snow began to stick to its sides as it crept towards her. It was beautiful. A deep mahogany color with curving antlers, it stuck out like a sore thumb against the white shimmer of the soft covering of the world. It made no noise as it advanced, picking its way neatly to her. Stopping only a yard or two away, it cocked it's head to the side and blinked once more. It's breath was visible in the cold; fast, rhythmic breaths. As if it had just been running.

It came closer. So close, in fact, that Lily could have reached out and touched it. She heard the crunch of snow as it gradually grew nearer, and had to look up to keep it her sight. It bowed its head, bringing it's face even with hers.

She would later contemplate how odd this was for a stag to do, but in the moment all she could do was marvel at the picturesque scene unfolding in front of her. It let out another breath, and Lily was startled to find it didn't smell like… well, a stag's mouth. It was… minty? Lily dismissed the idea immediately. It was just cold air from the snow, that's all.

Still leaning closer, it's cold, wet nose brushed Lily's for a split second, before it's head shot back into the air, fully alert. Lily jumped from it's sudden movement, and strained her ears for what had put it on edge. A distant, faint rustling sound greeted her.

Just moments later, a black blur erupted from the underbrush, streaking towards Lily and her newfound forest friend. She expected the stag to bolt back into the forest, but it didn't seem at all surprised by the now-panting shaggy animal that had come to a halt just outside the last line of trees. It looked almost annoyed, to Lily's surprise, and she cracked a smile as she imagined it let out a sigh.

Taking a closer look at it, Lily couldn't decide if it was a dog or a wolf. It appeared just too large to be a dog, but not quite wild enough to be a wolf. It wrinkled it's nose and the beginnings of a growl gurgled up from it's throat, but the threatening display was shattered when a large mound of snow fell from one of the branches above it. It whimpered, leaping out of the snow and shaking the excess from it's fur. Eyeing the stag again, it padded closer to her. Just out of reach, it sat down pointedly, staring at the stag beside her unblinkingly.

She heard a faintly scuttling sound and glanced away to see a fat mouse scurrying towards the scene. She briefly wondered if a zoo was missing some of their animals, since the collection gathered in front of her seemed completely random. The mouse joined the wolf, sitting down beside it and staring at the stag. Lily was very confused.

The stag, apparently not wanting to be left out, sat down as well, though it looked very awkward sitting down with only two legs and quickly just lay down in the snow. It held it's head high, and Lily could have sworn it looked defiant.

Lily rolled her eyes as she heard more footsteps coming from behind her. She turned around to see whichever new animal had come to join the party, but found a very bewildered Mary instead. Mary opened and closed her mouth, having nothing to say to the strange scene she saw before her. After a few moments, she laughed.

"Lily, you seemed to have acquired some animals," said Mary in amusement.

Lily grinned, pushing herself up from the rock and standing. "Indeed. More specifically, a deer, a mouse and a wolf," said Lily, and she looked back to see all of them had stood up as well. The wolf growled again, and Lily put her hands up in defense. "Whoa, whoa. We'll just be going now."

She slowly backed away with Mary by her side, and it barked and jumped to it's feet. Lily and Mary yelped, and fled as it's barks became more vicious.

* * *

 **A/N: I hate Daylight Savings Time. Like my sleep schedule isn't bad enough as is. Anyway, this has been: Lily Incorrectly Identifies the Marauders' Animal Forms. Hope you enjoyed the show. Just to reiterate in case you only read my bottom A/N — In a review, tell me how you're perceiving the characters, because I'm trying to make a select and secret few act/come off as in a very certain way, so you leaving a review letting me know how _you_ see them would be incredibly amazingly helpful! :) **


	12. Twelve: Speak of the Devil

**Before you read this, please just know that this is not my best writing, and was actually written AND planned in the span of about 48 hours. It's a little scattered and I was in a weird mood when I sat down and wrote it, so yeah. It's not amazing, but I hope you still enjoy it!**

 **A huge thanks to TrueHomePip(love your little \o/, it's adorable), ValkyrieCain3(Sar DOES come in later, and it's a pretty good guess!), and LoveJilly(I'm glad you like the dreams — I wasn't sure they were working very well) for leaving super specific and helpful reviews! Thank you!**

 **Remember to review! Tell me what you think!**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Twelve: Speak of the Devil_

* * *

Now that Lily was officially banned from knowing the parchment's contents, they were all she thought about. How delicious the forbidden fruit seemed to her; and she hadn't a clue what could be hidden in the pages. It could be anything. From more petty insults to the secret to immortality, she imagined nearly every possibility. Since Sirius's outburst, the Marauders had been careful to keep it tucked out of sight, but Lily was still just as determined to discover what it was.

She figured the best chance she had was James. He seemed the most willing to aid her. Take, for example, the three hours he had taken to retrieve her Arithmancy essay, or the _twelve_ he'd waited outside the hospital for her. Whatever the problem, he always seemed to be the one most set on fixing it for her. So she watched him, and waited for an opportunity to talk to him alone. The weather had slowly begun it's decent into winter. The ground was now always covered in a layer of white snow and Lily rarely ventured outside.

She'd chosen a dark corner near the boys, hoping she'd blend in with the wall. A warm blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders and a hot cup of hot cocoa in her hands, she eyed James patiently and waited for an opening. It didn't take long. As soon as he noticed that she was hovering near him, he immediately bid farewell to his friends and made his way over to her. She was surprised at the resentful glare Sirius threw her way as James approached, but quickly pushed it to the back of her mind as he joined her. Remus pulled Peter and Sirius up to the boys' dormitories, and Lily noticed that the common room was completely empty, save her and James, after they left.

Lily thought that Sirius was being selfish, and that if they were all going to try and be friends, that no secrets should be kept from one another. It wasn't as if she was asking him to tell her how to use the thing, she just wanted to know what it was.

He grinned as he pulled out a chair, and ruffled his hair as he took a seat. His shirt was, as per usual, wrinkled. The cuffs were unfastened and Lily noticed with a small smile that he'd buttoned the shirt wrong and consequently, the whole thing wasn't quite straight. Lily was used to it, though, as something was almost always crooked with James. The most common were his glasses, and ties, but the list was endless. His wand was tucked behind his ear, reminding Lily of how a muggle might stow a pencil in the same spot.

"Hello," greeted James, grinning.

"Hello," replied Lily softly.

The strange expression filtered into his eyes, and Lily blinked slowly. A peculiar sense of calm came over her, and she suddenly wanted to do nothing more than sit with James and drink her chocolaty goodness. "Where'd you get the hot chocolate?" inquired James.

"Marlene," said Lily, taking a small sip. "She's practicing household spells." James bobbed his head up and down, looking down at the table. The wind whistled past the window, making the glass shake ever so slightly, and they both turned their heads and watched the snow fly by. They were silent for a few moments, and Lily took another sip of her drink and studied the messy-haired boy. His hazel eyes flicked to and fro behind his glasses, and Lily though he looked very peaceful.

James smirked, and glanced back to her. "Ever since this snow started I haven't been able to _broom dry_ my hair."

Lily grinned. "Ah. Is that why it's been so bad lately?"

James just smiled wider, and he chuckled. He put his hands in his pockets and looked her over. "As much as I enjoy your insults, I'm guessing there's a reason you've been staring at me from this dark corner for the past thirty minutes?" said James.

Lily exhaled, and pushed herself into a straighter sitting position. "Yes… I have a proposition for you."

James's brows popped up, and he instantly leaned closer to her, resting his forearms on his knees. "You've finally come to your senses and have realized you've fallen madly in love with me and are ditching that Slytherin trash to snog me in this dark corner at this very moment?" exclaimed James.

"Close," said Lily, and though she rolled her eyes was unable to keep a small smile from creeping on to her face.

James stared at her. "Wait, seriously?"

"What are you doing Saturday? Say… around two-ish?" said Lily. James's face went completely blank. His eyes bore into hers, his expression entirely unreadable. He was motionless, and his eyes flicked between each of hers every couple of seconds. Lily laughed nervously, glancing to the floor. When she looked back up, he was still staring.

"Er… are you okay?" asked Lily cautiously.

He blinked, and Lily had to strain her ears to hear what he said. "Lily, did you just ask me out?"

"No! Er, kind of — just as friends! It wouldn't be a date, and there'd be _no_ kissing or hand holding or… or… I dunno. It's _not_ a date! We'd just go to Hogsmeade, or something," said Lily, and as she spoke she watched an enormous grin spread across his face.

"You just asked me out," declared James.

"No, I didn't!" insisted Lily. "You've been asking me for years, and I just thought it'd be nice to go _as friends._ "

" _You_ asked _me_ out!" said James in disbelief.

"As friends! I want something in return, too," said Lily, but he wasn't listening.

" _Lily Evans_ asked me out. I was asked out by _Lily Evans._ This is incredible," mumbled James. "This is the greatest day of my life."

"Potter, I want you to — _listen_ — I want… _Potter!_ " said Lily, but James had leapt out of his chair and was spinning in slow circles with his hands raised in the air triumphantly. She shrugged her blanket off and pushed herself to her feet. As her feet touched the ice-cold ground and she swore under her breath. Placing her mug down on the table, she hurried over to the twirling boy and yanked his arm to still him. He stumbled towards her, his wide grin still shining. She steadied him as he swayed, dizzy from the spinning, and got the feeling that this was what James was like when he had a little too much firewhiskey.

"Pull yourself together," said Lily, grasping his shoulders so he didn't fall. "And let me finish. I will go to Hogsmeade with you, _if_ you tell me what the bloody parchment does." His smile faded, and was replaced by a look of frustration. He scrunched his brows and bit his lower lip. She drew her hands back from his shoulders, as he no longer needed the support, but he caught her forearms. His eyes flicked around the room, often landing on her for a few fleeting moments, and he sighed.

"Evans," said James, releasing her and backing away from her. "You know I can't do that."

"Why not?" inquired Lily, injecting the most sadness she could into her voice. Even though she didn't enjoy it, she had a talent for guilt tripping people. She knew that if she could make herself seem dejected enough, nearly _anyone_ would tell her _anything._ "I thought we were friends…."

"W-we were — are — we _are_ friends, but… I can't. Damn it, Evans, you _know_ why I can't," said James, his voice breaking. He was still inching away from her. "Padfoot's said I can't."

"I just thought…" Lily trailed off, looking down at the ground morosely and gulping. "Maybe you'd trust me enough…."

James halted his retreated and Lily could hear his breath quickening, though she didn't hear what he muttered under his breath. Glancing up through her eyelashes, she saw that his eyes were closed and his lips were moving silently, as though he was debating with himself. When he opened his eyes and was met with Lily's puppy-dog expression, he immediately broke eye contact. She could tell it was working.

Shuffling towards him, she stopped a just short of an arms length away. He'd shut his eyes again, and had rested his hands around the back of his neck. "But I suppose not," she whispered, and he exhaled.

"I can't. _I can't._ And _you know why,_ " said James. Lily could tell he'd meant to shout this, but it came out as barely a murmur. She took a step closer and looked up at him. He shook his head slightly and swore under his breath.

"Stop it," muttered James, taking a step back again. She reached out and grabbed his shirt before he could walk too far away again, and he opened his eyes. He was leaning back, trying to distance himself.

"They don't have to know," implored Lily, curling her fingers into the fabric. One of her fingers unintentionally slid between the buttoned folds, and brushed against his chest. His breath caught, and she felt his heart racing, straining — faster than she'd thought. Maybe she could use this to her advantage….

"Pl… please," begged James, his eyes screwed tightly shut, and holding his breath. "Sto…."

"They'll never know," said Lily, stepping forward again. They were now so close that if James hadn't been weakly straining against her hold, they'd have been kissing. Usually her guilt tripping tactics didn't have such an intense response, and she wondered if there was something else she was doing that was influencing him.

"They'll…" James's voice had drained to a strained whisper, and Lily wouldn't have heard it if she wasn't so close. "F-find out."

His eyes flickered open, and they rested on Lily's pleading eyes. His eyelids were still half-closed, and his eyes became unfocused and relaxed. "Just trust me," urged Lily gently. He stopped leaning away from her, and brought his head forward. Their foreheads touched, and he blinked slowly.

"A map," murmured James, his eyes fluttering closed again.

"A map?" repeated Lily, surprised.

James took a deep breath in, and snaked a hand around her waist. "Mhm. Shows where everybody is, in Hogwarts," he sighed. As she took in the new information, she became more and more aware of how _close_ they were. They were standing on the same square foot of tile, and were tangled in each other's clothing. She pulled her head away, and he grunted in objection, hugging her closer and wrapped his free hand around the back of her neck, drawing her head back to his. She pushed against his chest, and his hands fell away as she took a step back.

"Where everybody is? As in, _exactly?!_ " exclaimed Lily.

James cocked his head to the side and nodded, still looking only partially awake. His eyes trailed lazily around her face. "We made it, the four of us. The insults come if you get the password wrong," James explained.

Lily looked at the ground. A map of _everyone, exactly_. Aside from being an enormous invasion of privacy, she couldn't help but be impressed. It would have required extremely advanced magic to create, especially from scratch.

"It doesn't…" started Lily, concerned. "Does it show _pictures_ of everyone, and what they're doing?"

James smiled. "Don't worry. Just names."

They fell into silence once more as Lily thought about all the things the map explained. James usually had a way of appearing next to her, even when she hadn't told anyone where she was. It also made all failed attempts Lily had made to catch them while they were setting up pranks make more sense, as it would have given them the ultimate heads up.

The portrait hole swung open, snapping Lily out of her thoughts, and James out of his dazed state. As a few first and second year Gryffindors made their way to the couch, James began to back away from her again. He looked almost frightened, and was wringing his hands.

"Are you alright, Potter? They're just first years, you know," chuckled Lily.

He glanced up at her, and his expression hardened. "They'll kill me."

Lily snorted. "Them? I'm pretty sure we can take a few first years—"

"They'll ostracize me — push me off the astronomy tower!" cried James in distress.

It dawned on her that they weren't talking about the newest arrivals to the common room. Lily rolled her eyes. "Please. It's not like you gave me the password! I just wanted to know what it did—"

"Why did you do that? I said I couldn't tell you!" he shouted, a look of hurt crossing his face.

She crossed her arms. "I didn't _force_ you to tell me!" she countered.

"Rubbish! I can't control myse—" he stopped mid-sentence, scowled, and stomped from the room. She watched him go, frowning. She glared at the other people in the room, who, upon meeting her ferocious stare, quickly went back to their work.

A map. It was impressive — not even she could deny it — but she doubted they would spend so much time and effort just to make a way to avoid teachers after curfew, or find her whenever James wanted. So what in the world _did_ they use it for?

-::-

The next day, as Marcus was walking her to class, he stopped her just before she entered the classroom. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for whatever he had to say.

"So, I was wondering," stuttered Marcus. "If, er, you'd like to spend the winter holiday with me. Not the whole two weeks, of course, because you need to see your family as well! But, maybe a few days?".

"Oh!" exclaimed Lily. She hadn't been expecting an invitation to meet his family. "Mark, I'd love to, but I don't know. My dad's been sick, and he's doing a lot better, but I think I should spend some time with him, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah. I get that, it's just…" said Marcus. "I think it would be good for my family to _meet_ you. You can show them how great you are!"

"Er, yeah," said Lily. "How about if I spend the first week with my family, and the second with yours?" Marcus grinned, and he gave her a quick kiss.

"Perfect!" he said, he waved goodbye to her, taking off down the corridor to go to his own class. She watched his figure disappear around the corner before entering the classroom. Defense Against the Dark Arts had never been her favorite class, mostly because whenever they learned about a particularly gruesome spell, many of the purebloods in the class would chuckle, and sneer at the muggleborns in the room. Ever since Mulciber and Avery had landed in the hospital, though, they had stopped, which made the lessons significantly more enjoyable.

As she looked around the dingy room, she saw a familiar head of wild black hair. She made her way over to him, sitting down quietly and slowly getting her supplies out. She wanted to apologize, but wasn't sure where to begin. She'd been wracked with guilt ever since their exchange, and felt horrible after he'd told her. The wounded look he had given her just before he fled the room was enough to tell her that she should have just minded her own business.

"Good morning, Evans!" said James cheerfully. Lily blinked. She'd assumed that James hadn't informed his fellow Marauders about her enlightenment, yet they still acted odd around her. Sirius had resorted to giving her the silent treatment, which worked out well because Dorcas and him weren't on speaking terms, again. Peter seemed to be avoiding her, though Lily had no idea why. Remus seemed more irritable than usual, snapping at her when she followed Severus's notes instead of the textbook's instructions in the class previous. James was worst of all, though.

He was acting as though nothing happened.

"Speechless? That's a first!" said James incredulously. "I know I'm wildly attractive, Evans, but honestly — there's no need to gape!"

She snapped her mouth shut, suddenly realizing it had been slightly ajar, and glared at him. "Have you no modesty?" said Lily, looking to the front of the classroom pointedly. From the corner of her eye, she saw him grin.

"Not a bone — do you prefer firewhiskey, or butterbeer?" said James, running a hand through his hair.

"Wha- why?" said Lily, giving him a confused glance.

"Our _date,_ " said James, raising his voice. A few heads turned sharply to stare, and James smirked as they quickly whirled back around and talked in hushed voices. James's endless courting of Lily was by no means a secret. In fact, nearly everyone she knew had made a point to let her know whether they were for or against James and her. If there was so much as a _whisper_ that they were going on a date the entire school would know by lunch, and James had done much more than whisper. Her eyes widened.

"W-wait! He's not serious — I'm not dating him!" cried Lily, but her outburst only attracted more curious looks from her classmates. She let out a frustrated groan as they started talked excitedly.

"Evans, it's okay," said James in a soothing tone that Lily knew could only mean trouble. "They'll know soon, anyway. We don't have to hide that _you asked me out_."

"Would you _stop it!_ " said Lily as he became louder again. She smacked his arm, and he grinned.

"You're so cute when you're mad," taunted James.

"And to think I was going to apologize to you," hissed Lily, scowling.

"Oh, there's no need for that!" he reassured her. "Plenty of girls are speechless when they see me!" He winked, and Lily narrowed her eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself, Potter," spat Lily. "I'm sure they're just wondering how such a large ego can fit inside such a small brain."

He chuckled. "I see you're as witty as ever."

"And you're just as arrogant," replied Lily, rolled her eyes.

"I think a _ttractive_ is what you meant," offered James. "I'm _attractive_ , my darling." Even sitting, he was still taller than her. With him leaning over her, suddenly everywhere her eyes darted she was met with James. She had a feeling he knew this, too. "Firewhiskey, or butterbeer?" he repeated, cocking his head to the side.

Her heart shouldn't have begun beating faster as his eyes flicked down to her lips, but that's still what happened. "I-I like butterbeer," said Lily, not making eye contact.

"Brilliant! Then it's settled. Saturday, at eleven-thirty," said James cheerily.

"Eleven-thirty? No, I have to study—" tried Lily.

"Evans," said James, sighing dramatically and launching into a speech. "Now, I know that sometimes it can be hard to balance your work life and your dating life, but—"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, _fine!_ Eleven-thirty," said Lily exasperatedly. He grinned.

"I knew you'd come around!" he said. Lily tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, shaking her head slightly. She often found that arguing with him was futile, as he'd become a master at annoying her into agreeing with him.

As the Professor started the lecture, Lily found it difficult to concentrate. Her mind kept wandering to Marcus, and spending the Holidays with him. She wanted to spend Christmas Day with her family, and she was sure that convincing them to let her stay with Marcus for a few days after wouldn't be too hard. His sister didn't seem to be her biggest fan, but perhaps spending time with her could change that.

With classes, homework, and the constant effort she had to put in to make sure that a certain messy-haired teenager didn't get himself in to too much trouble, she hadn't been spending as much time with Marcus as she would have liked. When they were together, it was usually to study, which wasn't the most romantic thing a couple could do. With any luck, spending a few days with his family would help them grow closer. By the end of the lesson, she was beginning to look forward to the trip.

As class ended, Lily gathered her things and put them into her bag. Pulling the strap over her shoulder, she found James was doing the same. She usually walked to dinner with they're entire group, but it was just the two of them that day. Marlene and Mary had both gone home for the holidays early, Remus and Peter were once again mysteriously absent from their classes, and Sirius and Dorcas were mostly likely sneaking off to a broom cupboard to snog, as they had reconciled a few hours prior. So James and Lily walked down the bustling corridors together, though this did nothing to help the rumors about them, which were already spiraling out of control.

Dodging a group of particularly rambunctious third years, she blew another stray piece of hair out of her eyes. As they turned a corner, James ran a hand through his hair and gave her a sideways glance.

"Ever been to Ireland, Evans?" said James abruptly.

"No," said Lily, looking at him skeptically. "Why?"

He gave her a toothy grin. "Ever wanted to?" said James.

"Oh no," said Lily exasperatedly. "Where is this going?"

He chuckled. "The Potters happen to be going there over the holidays. Family stuff, mostly, but Padfoot has a deep-rooted fear of Leprechauns, so he's refused to come. The spot's yours, if you'd like it. You'll blend right in."

"Because of my hair?" said Lily wearily.

"Because of your hair," confirmed James. "Well, your blinding beauty may set you apart quite a bit, but I'm sure you're used to that."

Lily fought back her smile, and tried to give him a scolding glare. It must not have worked, however, because he only grinned wider. "Tempting," admitted Lily. "But I'll have to pass. I'm spending the winter holiday with my family, and then Mark."

James's smile faltered. "Oh," he said. "Alright."

She shoved his arm playfully, in an attempt to cheer him up. "Don't look so sad, Potter!" said Lily. "I'm stilling expecting you to write me! If I were with you, your owl might get fat from lack of exercise."

A small smile crossed his lips. "And we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"Exactly!" said Lily, giggling. "I _still_ can't believe you named him Rowlf."

James let out a bark of laughter. "Actually, my father named him," admitted James. "Yes, that's right, Evans. Not only have I inherited his good looks, luscious locks, and dazzling smile, but also his incredible knack for puns." Lily rolled her eyes.

"Not to mention endless riches," added Lily.

"That, too!" agreed James, adjusting his bag. "See? I really am the whole package."

Lily snickered as they continued along the corridor. "You know," said Lily thoughtfully. "I didn't hate those letters."

He gave her a look. "Er, thanks?" said James uncertainly.

"No, I didn't mean—" said Lily, backtracking. "That came out wrong. It was just nice to know that however bad of a week I'd been having, at the end of it you'd be there to cheer me up. And, to be honest, they were the first time I actually looked forward to talking to you." She peered up at him to find he was looking intently back. She smiled shyly. "I'll reel it in before it gets too cheesy, I just… I'm glad we're friends, James. Really, I am."

He smiled at her pleasantly. "Me too, Lily." He reached out and tucked the very irritating red strand of hair behind her ear, and she saw the gold flecks in his eyes glittering again. Greenish-brown, with little streaks of gold; Lily had never appreciated how truly gorgeous the combination was.

She didn't realize they had slowed down until her feet stopped altogether, and she didn't know whether she just didn't mind that he hadn't pulled his hand away, or simply hadn't fully processed it yet. Either way, she let it stay as the hallway emptied of all other students, leaving them alone.

"James?" whispered Lily.

"Yes?" said James quietly.

"We've stopped."

"We have."

"We're standing awfully close."

"We are."

"Shouldn't we go to dinner?" asked Lily.

He smiled. "That would probably be best," agreed James, though neither of them made any move to start walking again. Lily blinked, confused as to why she was suddenly feeling so dizzy.

"We still aren't moving."

"No, we're not."

They fell silent, and James slowly brought his other hand up to rest softly on her hip. He fitted his hand around the back of her neck, and pulled her a step closer. Lily told herself to wiggle free and go to dinner, but her limbs weren't obeying her anymore, and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted them to start. His face was tilting towards hers, but she couldn't tell if he was pulling her, or if she was leaning in. Her heart was beating fast, and she could feel it in her fingertips.

"James?" said Lily, barely audible.

"Yes?" breathed James.

"You look like you're going to kiss me," whispered Lily, his face now so close it was out of focus.

"Perhaps I am," murmured James, his eyes fluttering shut.

Her mind wasn't working properly. She told herself to stop him, that this was wrong and it could only end poorly, but she didn't believe herself. Their noses brushed and she could no longer remember where they were, or where they were supposed to be. Her eyelids became heavy, and she only had seconds, if that, to make a decision, but every time she tried to think it was like wading through knee-high water. Her lips parted, his scent swirling in every breath she took. Slow and clumsy, the rational part of her clutched desperately to one thing: _Don't._

She twisted her head to the right abruptly, and let his forehead connect with the side of her head. Her eyes shot open and focused on the wall behind him. She inhaled sharply, and the fog that had been clouding her mind cleared somewhat. Her hands, which apparently had made their way around his waist, she then planted against his chest, pushing herself away from him. Blinking rapidly, she backed away from him, her eyes darting to anything but the boy in front of her. She didn't look to see whether James was hurt, or angry, she just turned and walked quickly down the corridor. Keeping her eyes fixed on the ground, she practically ran to the Great Hall. When she arrived, she found that her friends' spots were empty. Dorcas and Sirius were, evidently, not quite finished. Lily walked over to the open stretch of seats, and sat down.

She kept expecting James to join her at the table, but he never showed. She ate alone, chewing slowly and thinking over what had almost happened.

What _had_ happened? She'd never felt so out of control before; it had been like someone else was telling her body what to do. Not only had she come close to cheating on Marcus, but she'd almost _kissed James Potter._ The boy who'd magnetized her textbooks to his own in fourth year, just so they had to sit together in class. Lily frowned at the memory. He'd always been much too clever for his own good, now that she thought about it. He was unfairly tall, as well. One moment she'd been next to him, and the next she was staring up at him. He'd trapped her, and his eyes hadn't helped matters in the least. Those damn eyes. _He_ was unfair.

She left her supper half-eaten, and marched up to the Gryffindor common room before most of the school had finished their meals, determined to give James a piece of her mind. When she shoved open the portrait hole, however, she saw that Sirius had beaten her to it.

James stood with his back to her, arms crossed and strangely calm. Sirius, on the other hand, looked livid. Fists clenched and jaw tensed, he looked dangerous. As she listened to the exchange, she began to have a sneaking suspicion that they were talking about her.

"—can't believe you!" yelled Sirius, looking at James in disgust.

"Mate, I tried. Really, I did, but—" started James.

"Don't _lie_ to me!" hissed Sirius, his eyes turning to slits.

"I'm not lying!" protested James, throwing his arms in the air for emphasis. "I don't know what happened, I swear!" Sirius laughed coldly. "I tried—"

" _I don't care,_ " spat Sirius. "I said _no_. You ignored me. You can't deny it."

"I'm _not_ denying it, I'm trying to explain myself—"

"It's not _yours,_ it's not _mine;_ it's _ours,_ " said Sirius.

James sighed. "I'm aware of that. Let me just defend myself—"

"Let me guess, James," said Sirius mockingly, and imitated James for what he said next. "'I tried to keep quiet, but you know how I am around—"

"It's not like I told her how to get in!" interrupted James. "She can't _use_ it!"

" _That's not the bloody point,_ " sneered Sirius. "And I'm not even going to tell you not to give her the password, because you'll just tell her anyway, right? Who cares what _I_ want, as long as _James_ gets what he wants!"

"Oy! Don't twist this into something it's n—" tried James.

"Just shut up," said Sirius, looking repulsed. "You've made your decision." He glared over James's shoulder, and spotted Lily standing at the entrance.

"Sirius, I didn't make any decision! There's not _sides_ here, I just messed up, okay? I didn't think, and I just slipped up! It's not like I tried to hurt you on purpose."

Sirius stared at her, and his eyes flashed. "Well," hissed Sirius and, pushing past a still-objecting James, he walked slowly towards her. For the first time since she'd met him, she felt absolutely terrified as Sirius stalked towards her, and she felt adrenaline rush through her bones. He looked _murderous,_ with bags under his eyes and a few loose strands of black hair hanging in front of his face, all doubts she had that the conversation had been about her vanished. His grey eyes held no warmth or kindness, and instead helped his lethal display.

James turned, and she glanced to him with pleading eyes. "Sirius," said James warningly.

Sirius stopped centimeters in front of her, and pressed his wand tip into her stomach. Her heart was in her throat, and she was barely breathing.

"You know what they say," he whispered, his virulent gaze clawing holes in her head.

"Speak of the devil, and she shall appear."

* * *

 **A/N: Well _someone_ got up on the wrong side of the bed! What do you think? Who's to blame for James spilling — said Potter, or Lily? Let me know in a ****review!**

 **And yes, I know. This is a very scattered chapter. I'm sorry 'bout that. Heh, it's on the short side, too, for which I'm also sorry. Hope you liked it, anyway!**

 **Lily and James both got their share of… what, seduction? That sounds weird.**

 **Hey! I don't usually do this, but you should check out my dude IntoxicatedWaterfowl — NO WAIT DON'T CLICK OFF THE PAGE YET! — his work's actually like lit, no BS. Check him out on Wattpad or here on** **, he'll be posting his first soon!**


	13. Thirteen: The Incident

**_My god,_** **this is late. Over a week late, to be precise. Though a more in-depth apology is needed, I'm sure all you want to do is read the chapter, so I'll zip it for now.**

 **Though before I shut up, I want to give a huge thank you to LoveJilly(No, Sirius is not in love with James, but I do agree that that would cause pure chaos and would be a** ** _blast_** **to write!) and TrueHomiePiP(I hope this [very late] chapter is to your liking, and the wait wasn't too bad.). Your reviews make my day!**

 **Remember to review!**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Thirteen: The Incident_

* * *

Dorcas stared, open-mouthed and stunned, as she finished telling her about what she'd taken to calling _The Incident._ She wasn't particularly proud of what had happened, and still wasn't quite sure _why_ it had happened to begin with, but she thought her friend had a right to know. That, and Marlene would probably be able to tell she was hiding something just by the letter she sent her. So, after careful consideration, she decided that she would inform Dorcas of the The Incident, who would then pass it on to Marlene and Mary when she saw them over winter holiday.

"You…" started Dorcas, shaking her head and looking at the floor. "You _kissed_ James?"

"What— _no!_ I… I _almost_ kissed him," said Lily, wincing. It had sounded just as incriminating in her head as it did out loud. Wailing, she let herself fall face-first onto her bed. She pressed her face into the pillow. This was never supposed to happen. How could she let this happen?

"So, does that mean…" said Dorcas, her voice still sounding shocked. "Are you two… _dating?_ "

Lily's head shot back up, and she met her friend's inquisitive gaze with her own horrified one. "DATING?!" shrieked Lily, eyes widening. "Merlin — we're not even speaking at the moment."

"Wait, he's not talking to you?" said Dorcas, snapping out of her astonishment.

"I've been avoiding him…" admitted Lily, sitting up on her bed and playing with a strand of her hair.

"Lily! You have to talk to him!" exclaimed Dorcas exasperatedly. "Wishing it never happened isn't healthy."

Lily glowered at her friend. " _Healthy?_ " repeated Lily, one eyebrow raised. "What, like your and Black's relationship?"

Dorcas glared at her and crossed her arms. "Don't change the subject."

"No, I've been meaning to talk to you about him," said Lily hotly. "What's _wrong_ with you?"

"Nothing's _wrong_ with me!" countered Dorcas. "Besides, my dating life is none of your business. You're the one with a love crisis."

"Open your eyes, Dorie!" barked Lily. "You're miserable together! All you do is cheat on each other! You're either ranting about how he's a good-for-nothing toerag, or swooning over how he's _just so perfect._ "

"Right, because you're _so_ much better," snorted Dorcas under her breath.

"Excuse me?" hissed Lily.

"Get off your pedestal, Lily," sneered Dorcas. "You're doing the same thing with James. Just the other day, you were going on and on about how he was the most insufferable boy you've ever met, and now you've just told me you _kissed_ him!"

"I did not—"

"You said you had to _tear yourself away from him_ ," said Dorcas, rolling her eyes. "That's just as bad as kissing him. I mean, does Markus even know? Have you even thought about telling him?"

Lily opened her mouth, but closed it when she realized she didn't have a response. She shifted from one foot to the other, her anger slipping away and being replaced by an overwhelming sense of guilt. She sighed, pushing her boyfriend to the back of her mind, and focused again on her dark-haired friend standing before her. She really, truly, did not want to talk about The Incident anymore, and regretted bringing it up. "He's not good for you."

Dorcas let out a cold laugh, and fixed Lily with a icy glare. "You know nothing about it."

"I have _eyes,_ you know! I can see what he's doing _,_ " spat Lily. "He doesn't care about you — or anyone, for that matter. He's a selfish, entitled, destructive arsehole, and I can't believe you're letting him turn you into a slag."

Dorcas looked outraged; her fists were clenched, her mouth had become a thin line, and color was flushing into her cheeks. "Well, Sirius trusted me enough to show me the map all on his own. I didn't have to be a manipulative _bitch_."

The two girls glared at each other, processing each other's insults. Lily's jaw clenched, and she felt sudden the need to punch Dorcas, which frightened her. She'd never fought anyone, and didn't want to start, so she shoved past her fuming friend and stomped out the dormitory, slamming the door behind her. As soon as the cool air of the common room hit her face, she instantly began to regret the things she'd said.

Lily knew she shouldn't have brought Sirius into the conversation, but had been so panicked at the thought of confronting James that she changed the subject to the first thing that popped into her mind.

She marched down the stairs, emerging into the common room. Students lingered around tables and windows, enjoying their Friday, but Lily stopped in her tracks as the person she wanted to talk to the very least turned around to see what all the commotion was about. James. Concern immediately took over his face, and he stood up from the couch he'd been sitting on with Remus. She stared at him, adrenaline still rushing from the fight.

"Evans, what's wrong?" said James. She didn't move; her legs weren't working again. A peculiar prickle of fear crept through her bones, and she forced her foot to move toward the Fat Lady's portrait. As she shot through the door, she heard him call after her, but didn't stop. She raced through the corridor without any specific destination in mind.

She sprinted past the curious paintings adorning the walls and ignored the curious eyes of the few students she passed in the halls. When she reached a place that was completely deserted of fellow pupils and had only a couple paintings hanging from the walls, she collapsed against the stone wall. She sank to the ground, resting her head on her knees. Pulling her legs closer to her body and wrapping her arms around them, she caught her breath.

Breathing deeply and clearing her head, she listened to the faint bustling sound of her peers' footsteps as they hurried down the corridors. Eventually, she heard one of the muffled pairs of footsteps become clearer. Almost no one came through this hall, as it was dimly lit and there were rumors floating around the school that the paintings screamed at anyone passing, but Lily was sure she heard someone approaching. After a brief moment of consideration, she realized who it must be. Who else would know where to find her? Who else had a map that lead directly to her?

But, as she peered over her knees, it was not James that was advancing towards her. It was Sacharissa, Markus's sister, and she didn't look at all sympathetic. She halted a few feet away from Lily, staring down at her with her arms crossed and one brow arched.

"Enjoying your pity party?" said Sacharissa.

Lily sighed. No matter what she did, she just couldn't seem to make Sacharissa like her, and she was fed up with trying. "Did you want something?" said Lily, resting her head against the wall behind her and meeting the blue-eyed girl's gaze.

Sacharissa pursed her lips. "Mark invited you to our house over the holidays, right?" said Sacharissa, and Lily nodded in confirmation. She bit her lip, and hesitated before continuing. "I wouldn't… I wouldn't be surprised if you caught a nasty case of dragon pox and weren't able to make it. It's that time of year, after all…."

Lily narrowed her eyes and looked her up and down. It almost sounded like a threat, but she looked much too uneasy for Lily to be sure. Either way, it was clear that she didn't want her to join her for Christmas. "I'm sure I won't have any trouble being there," said Lily, fixing her with a challenging stare.

Sacharissa paused again, eyes flitting around the room nervously. It certainly was odd behavior if she was trying to intimidate her. "But you'd much rather spend time with your own family, surely," she insisted.

Lily cocked her head to the side, and pushed herself up from the wall so she was back to being an inch or two taller than the younger Hufflepuff girl. "If you've got something to say to me, Sacharissa," said Lily. "Just say it."

Her eyes stopped flickering around the corridor and came to rest back on Lily's. "Don't come," she whispered. "He'll not like it. Not one bit."

Lily was sure the confusion she felt was showing on her face, and Sacharissa began to slowly back away from her. "What do you mean? Who won't like it? Why?" said Lily, taking a tentative step towards the leery girl. Sacharissa just shook her head, backing away still quicker.

"Stay away," she cautioned, barely audible, before disappearing behind the corner. Lily stared at the place where she'd vanished, her mind even more jumbled then when she'd arrived. Why was she so determined to keep her out of her house? Before she had much time to dwell on her thoughts, however, someone else came jogging around the corner. This time, it actually was James.

He stopped as soon as he saw her, blinking in surprise to find her standing and staring at him. She knew that Dorcas had been right. She needed to talk to him. Sighing, she sank back against the wall, finally ready to talk to the messy-haired boy. She stretched her legs out in front of her, motioning for him to sit beside her. He cautiously obeyed, lowering himself to the floor next to her. Unlike usual, he kept just short of an arm's length away from her, and stared at his feet.

Lily swiveled her head to look at him. He had rested his forearms against his knees and his back was hunched. "Hi," she said tentatively.

"Hi," said James, twirling his wand in his hands. He looked as if he wanted to say more, but then thought better of it.

She hesitated. "We can talk about it, if you like," said Lily.

He looked at her, relief filling his eyes. "Shouldn't we?" said James, and Lily nodded somberly. A stiff silence settled between the two as they both wracked their brains for what to say next. She cleared her throat.

"So," started Lily. "We almost kissed."

He nodded. "Yeah, we almost kissed," repeated James, and the suffocating lull returned when neither of them knew how to continue.

James snorted, shaking his head slightly and giving her a humorous glance. "I'll be honest with you," he said. "I haven't got a clue how to talk about this."

Lily laughed with him. "Me either," she admitted, and she felt the tension between them start to slip away. "Actually, I'm still trying to figured out _why_ it happened."

"Isn't it obvious?" said James, unsuccessfully forcing back his smirk and waiting for her reply.

"You're going to compliment yourself, aren't you?" said Lily placidly, and she couldn't seem fight her smile, either.

"It's because — it's because I'm so," tried James, through a fit of giggles. Perhaps he had finally realized how ridiculous the things he said sounded. "Irresistible," he managed to get out.

Lily grinned, and watched him as he got his laughter under control. "As plausible as that sounds…" said Lily thoughtfully. "No."

He turned his wand through his fingers like a baton, out of what she could only assume was habit, the wood spinning so fast it became a blur. When or why he had refined such a pointless skill was beyond her, but it was impressive, regardless.

"I mean, you know why _I_ did it," said James.

"What, you mean the constant and relentless pining after me for five and a half years?" said Lily, sarcasm dripping from her words.

James chuckled. "Precisely," he said. "But I don't know why _you_ let me get so close."

"What? You're _blaming_ me?" said Lily incredulously.

"No, no," reassured James. "Just that, well… I thought you'd hex me, or slap me."

Lily opened and closed her mouth, once again at a loss for words. That seemed to be happening more and more, as of late. Finally, she spoke.

"I was _going_ to," she said.

"Why didn't you?" said James, his expression a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

"I…" said Lily, trailing off. "I don't know."

"Oh," was all James said, and he looked distracted.

"But, James," said Lily, capturing his attention once more. "It won't happen again."

"Evans, love works in mysterious ways—"

"No, I'm not kidding. It _can't_ happen again, got it?" said Lily seriously, searching his eyes for a sign that he understood how important it was that they never cut it so close again. He nodded sincerely, giving her a small smile. Lily swore she saw a hint of sadness behind it, but it was gone before she had time to be sure.

"Okay," he said. "Got it."

"Thank you," said Lily gratefully, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

" _If,_ " added James suddenly, raising his pointing finger and giving her a playful grin.

"Potter…" hissed Lily warningly.

"Relax, Evans. Let me finish," said James. " _If_ you come to my quidditch match. It starts in about an hour. You've never been to one of mine."

"Oh! That's it?" said Lily cheerfully. She'd been planning on attending the match anyway, as Markus was Slytherin's seeker and he'd asked her to come a few days prior.

"That's it," assured James.

"Right, then. I'll see you in an hour," said Lily, and the two Gryffindors pushed themselves back to their feet, setting off down the hall. And, just like that, they were back to normal.

-::-

The match ended up being more fun than Lily had though it would be. Though she only had Remus and Peter for company, she still found herself cheering whenever James caught the ball. She couldn't encourage Markus while surrounded by the over-patriotic Gryffindor masses — she didn't have a death wish, after all — but made a mental note to congratulate him whenever the Slytherin team did something particularly impressive. And, as much as she hated to admit it, James did look good in his uniform, even from the distance she sat.

She watched a Slytherin beater — a boy named Hector Clearwater, from what she could remember from the whispered explanations and names Remus had been giving her throughout the match — swing his bat and connect with a bludger, which then shot straight into one of her team's players, knocking him off his broom, and turned to Remus with a questioning look on her face.

"Why is it," said Lily, raising her voice in an effort to be heard over the shouts of protest from her fellow Gryffindors. "That we need a permission slip to go to Hogsmeade, but flying a hundred feet in the air while metal balls are streaking towards us is completely fine?"

"Because—" said Remus, but cut his sentence short when he realized he didn't have an immediate answer. "Huh, that _is_ odd, now that I think about it."

Peter chuckled, momentarily stopping his cheers. "Wizards would throw a fit if you tried to put rules around Quidditch, that's why."

Lily and Remus giggled as Lyra Brunlow, Gryffindor's seeker, suddenly leaned into a dive. Hand outstretched and ready, she shot through the air like a bolt of lightning. She could hear Slytherin's outcry from the stand to her right when she closed her hand around the shimmering golden ball, and cheers erupted from all around her. Gryffindor had won! Peter jumped to his feet, screaming at the top of his lungs and bouncing up and down in celebration. Remus shot her an amused glance before standing up to do the same. Lily, not only the last Gryffindor still in her seat but also wanting to join the fun, got to her feet as well. She clapped and cheered as the game pulled to a close.

She headed with the two boys back up to the castle, along with the horde of triumphant Gryffindors, and rather sour Slytherins. Just before she turned down the corridor that would take her to her common room, she felt someone's hand slide around her arm, and pull her back. Stumbling a bit, she turned to see Markus, still in his Quidditch uniform, and he pulled her into a hug.

Taken off guard, it took her a beat before she hugged him back. She breathed deeply, taking in the earthy smell that still clung to his robes.

"I'm sorry," sighed Markus into her hair. Sliding her hands back to rest them on his waist, she looked questioningly up at him.

"For what?" murmured Lily, who stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. He gently pulled back, but kept his forehead brushing hers.

"For Sar," said Markus. "I heard she told you to bugger off."

Lily let out a small chuckle. "You heard correctly, but you've no need to apologize. _You_ didn't do anything." He smiled, and leaned in to kiss her again. She pulled him closer by his collar, snaking her hand into his hair. To anyone else, he would have defended his perfectly groomed hair to his dying breath, but he usually didn't mind when Lily mussed it up. His hands found their way around her, and he kissed her harder.

Suddenly Markus lurched forward, and they broke apart. She stumbled backwards and threw out her arm to catch the wall and stop herself from toppling to the floor. She looked past him to see Sirius, looking just as angry as the night previous, with his wand raised and his eyes trained on her. Markus spun around to face him.

"What the hell was—" started Markus.

"Sometimes," sneered Sirius, his voice cold and disgusted. His lip curled and he titled his head to the side, walking slowly towards Lily as he spoke. "It can be hard to tell the difference between a flower and a weed."

Markus drew his own wand as he came closer, but Sirius's eyes never strayed from Lily's. "The trick is to look at what they do to the plants around them," hissed Sirius, and his eyes finally flicked to Markus. He stopped walking and blinked slowly. "Flowers, you see, are harmless. They grow, they bloom, they die."

His grey eyes locked with Lily's once more, and she felt fear prickling up her spine, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "But weeds? Weeds suck the life out of everyone else. They steal and destroy until there's nothing left to consume — nothing left to take. They float into your garden and you don't know they've rooted themselves in your yard until it's too late. By the time you try to get rid of her, she's already built an empire of far-reaching roots and has embedded herself into his life. But because she looks pretty and does everything _so beautifully,_ he doesn't give a damn. Why should he? The rest of the plants were ugly, anyway."

Lily had, of course, absolutely no clue what he was talking about, but had no intention to ask him anytime soon. His eyes bore into her, and Lily shifted her feet uncomfortably. His gaze relaxed, and he looked back to the very confused Slytherin boy standing next to her. "I suggest you work out which she is, before it's too late."

Without warning, he tucked his wand away and stalked past them around the corner, until he was out of sight. Markus looked completely bewildered, and she couldn't blame him. Perhaps Sirius was going mad.

"What the bloody hell was he on about?" said Markus, turning to give her a perplexed look.

She sighed. "No idea," said Lily, suddenly feeling very drained.

"Was he… _threatening_ you?" said Markus angrily. Lily shook her head, partly to ease her boyfriend's conscious and partly because she wasn't sure of the answer.

"Are you sure?" said Markus.

"Yes, I'm sure — look, I really just want to go to bed. Thanks for apologizing, even though you didn't have to," said Lily, trying to back away and follow Sirius up to the Gryffindor common room. Markus caught her arm.

"I can walk you to your room, if you like," said Markus, still sounding concerned. Lily was getting irritated. She wasn't a helpless puppy; she could take care of herself!

"No, I'm fine," said Lily. "You played great, by the way."

Markus grinned, and kissed her in farewell before running back the way he'd came and out the door. Lily turned and started back up the corridor, trying desperately to riddle out what Sirius had meant. His pronouns had turned into 'he' and 'she', which she found odd, considering he'd been talking about plants. As she climbed a set of stairs, she heard a shout from her right, followed by a familiar cruel laughter; the same laughter she'd heard on the night she'd wound up in the hospital.

Lily froze at the top of the staircase, unsure of what to do. It could be nothing. She could convince herself it was nothing, and continue on to the common room. She could've, if it weren't for the sobs that were reverberating around the walls. Dread filling her stomach, she knew she had to help whoever was crying.

She also knew she'd pay for it.

Taking a deep breath, she ran towards the noise, skidding around the corner to see, just as she'd thought, a student writhing on the the ground. Mulciber and Avery were standing above him, cackling.

"HEY!" bellowed Lily, wand trained on the closer of the two boys; Avery. They spun around, and the boy on the ground coughed and sputtered. The boy, whose hair flaming red, looked no older than twelve, and Lily felt a surge of anger. "Pick on someone your own size!"

Mulciber and Avery exchanged an amused glance. "Careful, Mudblood," sneered Mulciber, excitement bubbling in his voice. "Your boyfriends aren't here to defend you."

"I can defend myself!" said Lily, glaring at the boy.

"Is that so?" said Avery slowly. They seemed to be giving their full attention to Lily. If she could distract them for long enough, perhaps the second-year could get away.

She lifted her chin and gripped her wand tighter. "Only one way to find out," challenge Lily, bracing herself. The boys grinned.

" _Reducto!_ " shouted Mulciber, at the same time Avery barked, " _Locomotor Mortis!_ "

" _Protego!_ " whispered Lily, her voice suddenly very small. As soon as her charm deflected the Slytherins' curses, they stalked away from each other. With one boy on her right, and one on her left, she was hit with the realization that she was in over her head.

They produced spell after spell, giving Lily barely any time to deflect them, much less supply any of her own in retaliation. Flashes of blue, red, white, and yellow surrounded her as she fought to remain standing.

"If you give up now," offered Avery, pausing to aim a particularly nasty jinx at her. "We'll go easy on you."

"Yeah," agreed Mulciber. "Only a _few_ broken bones."

Lily tried not to let the panic she was feeling show, but she wasn't sure how successful she was in that attempt. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of red, and glanced over to see the small boy sprinting down the hallway. Relief washed over her. At least the boy wouldn't have to make a trip to the hospital. As soon as she was certain they wouldn't be able to find the second-year when they were done with her, she stopped shielding their awful spells.

One, a sparking and angry-looking green blaze, hit her square in the chest. The other, which she couldn't see, struck her lower back. Fiery pain shot up her spine and ice-cold knives tore at her chest from the inside, until her eyes fluttered closed, and the Slytherin boys' twisted snickering faded to silence.

All was black, all was silent, and all was still as she let the noiseless agony consume her.

-::-

James laughed, and pulled her to him. She didn't know he could dance. Then again, what _couldn't_ he do? It was nice out. Sunny, and warm. The grass beneath her feet was cool, and the blades her bare toes crushed as she and James swayed to and fro sprang back up when she lifted her foot, as if nothing had been there at all.

The sun shimmered in his eyes, and the golden flecks glittered in the light. He pressed his forehead against hers as they continued to dance, and she breathed deeply. The smell of earth and oranges filled her nose, and she intertwined her fingers with his.

"Lily," mumbled James. His voice sounded distant, as if she was underwater. They stopped dancing, and she felt her back begin to ache with the weight of standing.

"Lily," said James again, his voice becoming clearer.

Lily released his hands and wound her own around the back of his neck. "What?" whispered Lily, who was finding it difficult to get enough air. It was thick. So, very, thick. Like breathing mud.

"Wake up," said James, clearer than ever. Lily blinked, and a freezing breeze suddenly whistled past her. She gasped, the cold air knocking a pounding headache into her.

Her eyes shot open, and she let out a moan. She was cold; the kind of cold that felt like fire. Her spine was made of knives when she moved, but she couldn't breathe when she was still. Bleary shapes moved around her in slow motion, and one of them was talking to her. She could hear what they were saying because of a high-pitched ringing that wouldn't cease, but she was sure they were talking. She squirmed, and tears spilled over her face from the horrible pain that accompanied that decision. She fixated on the figure leaning over her, working to pull their face into focus.

His hair came first. The whole untamed black mess of it was instantly recognizable. As the rest of his features slid into view, the ringing in her ears faded.

"—it? Do you remember? Lily, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Can you breathe alright? Is it your back? What about your head? I'm so sorry. Do you want some water? I just—what should I do? I can get Madam Pomfrey to come back, if you'd like. I brought chocolate. I brought _a lot_ of chocolate. Moony'll kill me for stealing his stash, but that's okay. Do you like chocolate? Most people do. Except Padfoot, he hates the stuff. But you like it, right? I've seen you eating it before, so I just figured— can you hear me? I'm sorry. What hurts the most? Can you hear—"

"Do you have an 'off' button?" muttered Lily, though his panicked rambling had already cheered her up a bit.

James grinned, and squeezed the hand she hadn't realized he was holding tighter. "Yes, but you won't like where," said James, winking.

Lily couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face, or keep the laughter out of her voice. "All good things come with a price, I suppose," said Lily. James chuckled, and Lily winced as she did the same.

"Do you want me to fetch Madam Pomfrey? How much does it hurt? She said she couldn't do anything else, but I know a few pain relieving spells. They work, I've used them before. Or I could—"

"There was talk of chocolate?" said Lily. If there was nothing more Madam Pomfrey could do, calling her in would be rather pointless. Besides, she doubted that the nurse had chocolate.

"Copious amounts of it," said James, nodding. "Hang on, I'll get it." He rushed to the end of her bed and bent down to pick up a large book bag. Dropping it on the bedside table, he pulled out a handful of chocolate frogs. "Are you sure you don't want me to fetch Madam Pomfrey? There's nothing she can do, but— can you sit up? Do you need help sitting up? Or do you want to eat this lying down? You can—"

"James, for the love of Merlin, _shush!_ " said Lily, grinning again. "Yes, I need help."

Immediately, James threw the package onto her sheets and began helping her. With his hands around her waist and her own clutching tightly to his shoulders, they managed to get her to an upright position.

"Are you alright? You look like you're in pain. Did I hurt you? I'm sorry. Should I—"

Lily gasped, as an ice-cold blade ran up and down her spine. "May-maybe now," croaked Lily. "That nu-numbing spell?"

"Right!" exclaimed James, snatching his wand from his back pocket. He mumbled something incoherent, and she instantly relaxed. The pain, while still present, seemed miles away. James flicked his wand again and a chair came flying across the room, landing gracefully next to Lily's bed. He sat down and handed Lily her frog. She tore open the packaging, and caught the chocolate creature before it had a chance to hop away. She always found biting into the still-moving sweets to be rather barbaric, but the taste was always worth it.

James rested his elbows against the bed and he opened his own. "You know," he said thoughtfully. "I used to eat a lot of these things."

"Oh?" said Lily, biting into her frog.

"Yeah," said James. "I've got almost every card."

Lily snorted. "I hope that isn't supposed to impress me," she said through a mouthful.

He smiled. "That _is_ what you're supposed to do on a date, Evans."

"A date— Potter, are you mad?" said Lily. "Just because I can't run away from you doesn't make this a date!"

"Eleven-thirty, Evans. Saturday. Our _date,_ remember?" said James, raising his eyebrows.

Lily sighed. "Oh, right."

"Please, contain your excitement."

She let out an unintentional bark of laughter, which surprised even her. "Wasn't I promised Butterbeer?"

"Alas, it slipped my mind. Forgive me. I'll bring some next time."

" _Next time?_ Awfully confident, Potter."

"Considering you were muttering my name in your sleep, I say my odds are looking pretty good."

" _I_ — _you_ … you're lying!"

"Am I?"

"Oh, Merlin…"

"Don't fight it, my darling," said James, fishing out another chocolate package and handing it to Lily. "We're soulmates."

She tore into the box, pulling out the sweet. "Oh, I'm not fighting _that._ I'm fighting _you_ trying to fight my rejection."

"Oh, your constant, soul-crushing, pride-destroying, confidence-ripping rejection?"

"That's the one."

"Nah. It has no effect on me what-so-ever."

"Oh, I'm aware."

They both grinned, and ate a few more sweets in silence. James kept trying to convince her that they were meant for each other, mostly by showing her how their frogs both jumped towards each other at the same time when they opened their boxes.

"So," said Lily, still chewing the chocolatey goodness. "What'd they do to me? I don't recognize the symptoms."

James sighed, dropping the empty box and running his hands over his face. He leaned back in the chair, and crossed his arms. "They used…" said James, hesitating and not meeting Lily's gaze. "They used the Flagrante Curse. It's not meant for living things. That's why you feel freezing. You feel cold, right? You're not. You're burning up."

Lily blinked in surprise. She felt as if she were atop a mountain in nothing more than a dress. James snorted, and looked back up at her. "No matter what, Evans, you find a way to be smoking hot," added James, laughing. She rolled her eyes, smiling.

"What about the other one? I was hit with two spells, right?" said Lily, and James's face turned suddenly serious. He swallowed, and leaned back towards her.

"Yeah, you were," said James tersely, his jaw tensing. "They also used the Cruciatus Curse."

Lily eyes widened. "Isn't that one of… the illegal ones?" she whispered. James nodded, and Lily took a deep breath.

"They haven't got any evidence it was Mulciber and Avery, but they're going to have a look at their wand records. I don't think they'll find anything, though. As twisted as those two are, they're smart enough to clear their wands," said James.

Lily chewed on her bottom lip anxiously, and James took her hand between his own again. "Hey, it's alright," he said soothingly. "You're alright."

"I am _now,_ " wailed Lily, her voice cracking. "But what about the next time they decide they want to try an Unforgivable Curse? Two against one isn't _fair,_ I can't beat both of them!"

James kissed the back of her hand. "You won't have to," he said. "Because I'm never leaving your side again."

* * *

 **A/N: This always drove me insane, so for anyone who remembers that they said he was a seeker in the movies: JAMES. WAS. A. _CHASER_. Also, I really just envision Sirius as the most melodramatic, oh-my-god-i-got-a-splinter-i-think-i-might-die teenager that ever lived. Sirius is the Cheryl Blossom of the Marauders. **

**Anyway, how'd you like James The Nurse? Can you tell that I ran out of chocolate today? My mouth was watering when I wrote the hospital scene…**

 **This was pretty fast-paced. That's because we're getting cloosseerrrrrrrrrr….. *insert mysterious and intriguing music here***


	14. Fourteen: Winter Holiday Part One

**Welcome back! I really had fun writing this chapter, so I hope you'll enjoy it as well! As usual, thank you** ** _millions_** **to JilyPevans1998(No, it's not included. Here's what happened, though: students came into the common room directly after he said "Speak of the devil, and she shall appear.", effectively diffusing the situation and letting Sirius stalk off angrily.), deathbucks11(I'm actually not a fan of love triangles. They're cliche, and we all know who she'll end up with, but I do have a** ** _bit_** **more in store for Markus than just being a complication… *evil laugh*), Cinder Luna(Thanks so much! I'm glad you like the story.), and Lovejilly(I love reading your reviews! I can't even tell you how much I appreciate the amount of detail you put into them! Yes, he did, and the map isn't the only secret Sirius has let Dorcas in on…) for reviewing! It means the world to me!**

 **This chapter is written partly in letters:**

 **Lily:** _Italics._

 **James: Bold.**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Fourteen: Winter Holiday Part One_

* * *

 **Lily,**

 **How's your family? Is your dad still doing okay? I can't help but think that awful sister of yours is putting a bit of a damper on the holidays, but I hope you're still festive.**

 **Are you feeling better? I know you said you felt fine on the train, but still. Oh, and I thought you'd like to know that me and Moony showed those Slytherin pillocks a thing or two about jinx etiquette.**

 **Ireland, as it turns out, is bloody wet. They've somehow managed to combine below freezing temperatures with rain. Isn't that impossible? I reckon it is.**

 **Have you found some sort of substitute for the joy and happiness I usually bring?**

 **James**

 **P.S. Happy H** ** _owl_** **idays, my darling.**

 _James,_

 _My family's doing well. Dad's doing better and Petunia has been pleasant, though I suspect that has little to do with me. She's found herself a boyfriend; Vernon Dursley. Rather brick-like and terribly boring if you ask me, but at least Tuney's happy._

 _There's such thing as jinx etiquette? That's completely ridiculous. What, are there rules that one must follow when hexing someone? (Please note the chuckle that has followed this.)_

 _Yes, Ireland is a wet place. Have you become a walking puddle yet?_

 _I'm dying to know - what do leprechauns actually look like?! Have you seen one? Are they really short like the fairy tales? Do they were little green lederhosen? Oh! Is there actually gold at the end of rainbows there?_

 _Joy and happiness are the same thing, you arrogant sod._

 _Lily_

 _P.S. We're not doing owl puns again, Potter. It's time to_ peck _a new subject._

 **Lily,**

 ** _Do_** **elaborate on what, exactly, "rather brick-like" means. I'm sure it's nothing good. Is he staying with you? How boring are we talking, here? Details, Evans! I need details!**

 **It shocks and appalls me that you've never heard of the Jinxer's Decree of 1971. Founded in part by Your Future Husband and Remus J. Lupin in 1971 in response to nine shattered chandeliers, fifty-seven cracked marble tiles, and scorch marks along three walls, it has acted as a guideline for all those who wish to jinx, hex, and/or prank. The decree was established with five rules, but there have been three measures added since that time; the Hogwarts Faculty Exclusion Act of 1972, the Fortnight Recovery Proposition of 1974, and the Invisibility Cloak Prohibition Bill of 1975.**

 **James Henry Potter proposed the Lily Evans Exemption Clause in 1974, but was unable to secure the votes necessary to put it into affect.**

 **Below are the decree's eight standing rules and regulations, accompanied by their purpose.**

 **I - The Testimony Adjudication Plan:** ** _the effort to stop confessions of guilt or betrayal to foes._**

 **II -The Holiday Suspension Formality:** ** _the halting of any and all ongoing jinxes, hexes, and/or pranks from December 24th, 11:59 pm to December 25th, 11:59 pm to allow for unbothered celebration._**

 **III - The Transformation Security Act:** ** _classified._**

 **IV - The Plenilune Recovery Term:** ** _classified._**

 **V - The Restriction of Beasts Article:** ** _the prohibition of any use of monsters, beasts, and creatures that have an XXX, XXXX, or XXXXX rating from the Ministry of Magic in any jinxes, hexes, and/or pranks._**

 **VI - The Hogwarts Faculty Exclusion Act (added in 1972):** ** _the agreement to prevent Hogwarts faculty from involvement, ascertainment, and/or mitigation in all jinxes, hexes, and/or pranks._**

 **VII - The Fortnight Abatement Proposition (added in 1974):** ** _the right to one fortnight betwixt any and all jinx, hex, and prank retaliation before being jinxed, hexed, or pranked once again._**

 **VIII - The Invisibility Cloak Prohibition Bill (added in 1975):** ** _classified._**

 **Well, if you'd have ditched Prosser to come with me, I wouldn't have to tell you about the irritating little things, now would I? They're green, around fifteen centimeters tall, and wear nothing but leaves. Pesky little creatures, really. Always causing trouble and pulling pranks — hang on, you better not relate this back to my behavior! I'm not a bloody leprechaun! They've got gold, yeah, but it's Fool's Gold. They trick people into thinking it's real and sell it for a massive price markup. I didn't know muggles have fairy tales about leprechauns, but then again they have stories about almost every magical creature. (It's adorable that you're so keen on finding out what they actually look like.)**

 **That'd be a no, then? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find some way back to happiness when I'm not with you. I know I said I'd never leave your side, but my hands are tied if you won't tell me where you live….**

 **James**

 **P.S. Alright, then. Onto the** ** _hex_** **topic; magic, perhaps?**

 _James,_

 _I feel terribly rude calling him brick-like, but I quite honestly can't think of a better way to describe him. I think our sofa has acquired a dent from where he's sat, and sometimes he just stares off into nowhere, with his mouth hanging open! My sister must have gone mad._

 _When in_ _Merlin's name_ _did you have time to make that!? And why, for that matter. That is absurdly long and complicated! And what's with the "_ ** _classified_** _" nonsense? You are, in every sense of the word, completely and utterly ridiculous._

 _They sound like lepre_ con _s, if you ask me. (Don't patronize me, James. I'm only keen 'cause I've no clue how they are.)_

 _I'm not insanely depressed every time you leave the room… you do know that, don't you? So there's really no need — and there never will be any need — to give you my address._

 _Lily_

 _P.S. It can be magic, if you_ wand _._

 **Lily,**

 **Your sister has always been mad, from what you've told me.**

 **Lily Evans, did you just let me calling myself** ** _your future husband_** **slide? Without so much as a stern comment! This is a sign! A gift from the heavens! So you've finally succumb to my charms, have you? About time! I was beginning to think you weren't interested — what an insane idea! Well, now that you return the feelings, we** ** _must_** **get together soon! You'll be breaking up with Prosser, obviously, but when do you want to have our second date? I'm thinking New Years. Does that work for you, my darling?**

 **I'm not patronizing you, love. I would never. For out wedding cake, do you prefer chocolate or vanilla? See, Padfoot doesn't like chocolate, but I'd be willing to disregard that and get a chocolate one anyway, my sweet, if that's what you'd like. Now you'll come with me on all my adventures! We'll be a power couple. Absolutely unstoppable.**

 **Well now I've** ** _got_** **to have your address. How else will I know where to pick you up? England, for sure, but what town? London's too obvious. You're not a London girl. And no wizard towns, so mine's out of the question. Bristol? Cambridge? Or perhaps York? Maybe a sort of smallish town…?**

 **James** **Your One True Love**

 **P.S. I'll guess your town eventually, Evans. It'll just be quicker if you'd tell me** ** _witch_** **one.**

 _Potter,_

 _I have not succumb to your "charms" (Is_ that _what you call it?) and I never will. We're not going on a second date._

 _Ever._

 _Don't call me "love"._

 _Ever._

 _I'm not giving you my address._

 _E. V. E. R._

 _Evans._

 **Lily,**

 **Really? We're back to "Potter"?**

 **Don't be cross with me. I was only joking,** ** _love_** **.**

 **You didn't really give me a lot to work with, so…? Ireland is still cold and wet, for the record. I still wish you'd come. Perhaps your absolutely stunning beauty would blind the Irish pricks I'm staying with. That'd show 'em.**

 **Birmingham? Manchester? What about Liverpool? Nah, you don't live in** ** _Liverpool._**

 **James**

 **P.S. Really? Nothing? Does that mean "** ** _(swish and) flick_** **off" in 'Evans'?**

 _Potter,_

 _Have a nice holiday. I'm leaving for Mark's tomorrow. Don't write me while I'm there._

 _Evans._

 **Lily,**

 **Have I done something? I was only kidding! You're just too damn beautiful for me to resist….**

 **James**

 **P.S. Do I have to** ** _spell_** **it out for you? I-M S-O-R-R-Y. (Really, I am.)**

She'd been in a fowl mood ever since arriving back home to be greeted by one of Vernon's icy glares. He was as if her sister had multiplied, gained two hundred pounds, and lost a few million brain cells. Perhaps that was how she should have described him to James.

 _James._

His letters had been comforting, and she knew that being so cold to him wasn't fair, but she couldn't lift herself from the pissy mood she was in from the family dinner she'd come from. She hated eating with that man. Food spilled out of his mouth and you'd be able to hear him chew from miles away. His constant inquiry as to where she lived, his entire letter filled with flirtatious comments, along with having to make conversation with her sister's boyfriend had put her over the edge. She didn't feel like putting up with James over the holidays.

Moody and not wanting to chastise him, she simply let the letter fall to her desk, and began hauling her trunk to the door.

-::-

Her stomach lurched and her vision blurred as the pair disapparated in front of her house. Her body squeezed and stretched and then, as quickly as the sensation had come on, she was back to normal. Her head spun and staggered as they landed. Markus weaved a hand around her waist to steady her. She'd always hated apparition. She wasn't very good at it, and it always made her unbearably dizzy.

"Easy," he soothed as she took a deep breath. "Easy… that's it. Are you alright?"

She nodded, still slightly disoriented. Swallowing, she took in her surroundings. Where moments ago was her small flower-lined house, now stood an absolutely enormous mansion.

Tall hedges lined the grounds, and the two of them were standing beneath an archway. Her mouth parted slightly in awe as she took in the gurgling fountains and white swans dotting the courtyard. The house itself was a dark wood, with windows placed between elaborate gargoyles and pillars. She thought a home of such great size would be humming with the bustling noise of people inside and wildlife in the gardens, but it was eerily silent. The only sound that could be heard was the crunch of gravel beneath their feet as he pulled her towards the door. The grand, ornate door, that probably cost more than her entire house. He laughed, giving her an amused glance.

"How…" started Lily, but even she wasn't sure how the sentence would end. "You're… you _live_ here?"

He grinned, clearly pleased with her astonishment. "Yeah," said Markus proudly. "D'you like it?"

Honestly, she thought it looked quite vampiric, but she wasn't about to voice that opinion, so she just gave him a small nod. They reached the door and it opened without so much as a knock. As it swung open her eyes widened in surprise.

It was the most empty room she'd ever seen. Yes, there were chairs, and rugs, and lights, but not one thing was out of place and there was nothing in the room that gave her the impression that there were people living in the house. No books on the side tables, no flowers or plants; but that didn't mean it wasn't flamboyant. Intricate paintings and lamps adorned it, and green silk damask curtains hung from the windows like somber veils. The paintings' portraits — all of whom looked like rather unpleasant people, in Lily's opinion — turned their heads to look at her disapprovingly, before returning to their regal stance.

A house elf, dressed in beige rags sewn together, was holding the door open, bowing. Markus walked in ahead of her, and the house elf looked up at her as she continued to survey the furnishings.

"Does the girl wish to come in?" croaked the elf, turning his head towards Markus, who gestured for Lily to come inside. She took a few hesitant steps forward, and house elf shut the door behind her.

"Does the girl have a trunk?" grumbled the elf.

"Yes, but it's already here," snapped Markus, more harshly than Lily had expected. He seemed irritated at the elf's offer to help. "Make yourself scarce, Proddy."

Proddy bowed his head again and scurried away. Lily frowned as Markus led her through aureate rooms, until they reached a flight of stairs.

"My parents are out for the next few days, but they'll be home in time for New Years," explained Markus, walking briskly up the steps. "So I thought I could show what a true wizard's town looks like! If you want, I mean. We can do whatever you'd like."

"Are they really that different than muggle towns?" asked Lily dubiously. "Aside from magical shops and floating signs, what could change all that much?"

Markus snorted. "Wizard towns are loads of fun! There's much more to do."

A small smile passed over Lily's face, though Markus couldn't see it. " _Owl_ believe it when I see it," she muttered.

"Hm?" said Markus, turning his head slightly.

"Oh, nothing," said Lily, shaking her head. "Just that it's been more than a few minutes since we left your front entrance and we _still_ haven't reached your room!" He laughed, and Lily tried to shake James out of her head, though her efforts were only partly successful.

-::-

Dinner was served at eight o'clock, sharp, and while Markus assured her that she needn't dress up for the occasion, it still felt strange to be going to a meal in such a formal setting wearing just jeans and a hoodie. The nervousness that had settled in the pit of her stomach only worsened when the arrived his Markus's dining room.

It could hold at least a few hundred people with room to spare, but the only person sitting down was Sacharissa, at the head of the table. She was wearing a night gown, with her hair in two neat braids down her back. She looked up as they walked in, and two more plates appeared as Lily and Markus strode towards her. They took their seats on either side of the brown-haired girl, leaving an enormous section of the table unoccupied.

The two siblings chatted with each other about various magical topics for the majority of their meal, and Lily only supplied her own opinions when she happened to know what they were talking about.

She felt a tug on her jacket, and looked down to see the small house elf from before, yanking her sleeve.

"Proddy, don't bother her," said Markus irritably as the elf continued to tug at her hoodie.

"No, it's fine," Lily reassured him, though he didn't look convinced. "What is it?"

Proddy presented a letter to her, with her name written in a familiar scrawl on the front of the envelope. She took it from the elf, who backed away after receiving a glare from Markus, and bit her lower lip.

She'd told the boy not to write her while she was here. She didn't expect him to listen, of course, but it hadn't even been a day since his last letter. Since she was finished with her meal, she quietly tore it open in her lap, pulling out the parchment inside. It was shorter than normal, though that may be due in part to her decision not to reply to his last one.

 **Lily,**

 **How's Prosser's house? Is it big? I bet mine's bigger.**

 **131 Falter Lane, Clarmanock's Ridge, England, by the way. My door's always open, if you'd like to see for yourself….**

 **Oh, right. Size doesn't matter. ;)**

 **James**

 **P.S. Though if it did, I should have you know _hat_ mine is far superior. (You know, like a witch hat? It's a stretch.) **

She scowled, angry that she found his letter comforting. Perhaps it was the familiarity of it, as she was currently surrounded with golden goblets and fine china, that led her to find solace in the letter.

Brushing her thoughts aside, she tucked the parchment back into the envelope, folded the whole thing in half, and stuck it in her back pocket.

She took a sip of the bitter wine from her cup, doing her best not to wince.

"Who was it from?" inquired Markus casually, taking another bite of his food.

Lily shook her head, putting a smile on her face. "My mum," she lied, though not quite sure why. She didn't think telling him she'd been writing James was a good idea. "Just wishing me luck for the rest of the year."

Markus nodded, and went back to his conversation with his sister. Lily swallowed, her eyes staring at her fork. She felt staggeringly out of place in his house, and suddenly was beginning to wish she'd heeded Sacharissa warnings not to come.

"So, Lily," said Sacharissa, turning her attention to the red-haired girl. "What do you think?"

"Of what?"

" _The Prosser Mansion_ ," said Sacharissa, sarcasm dripping from her every word.

"Oh, it's — it's really, um, big." Lily had to stop herself from grimacing from how forced her voice sounded.

"Brilliant observation," said Sacharissa, raising her eyebrows.

"Er, yeah. And it's really…" said Lily, searching for the best word. "Really stately."

Sacharissa snorted. "Well I hate it," she said matter-of-factly, surprising Lily. "It's much too malevolent. Very over-the-top, and—"

" _Watch your tongue, young lady!_ " screeched a painting from behind Lily, making her jump. Sacharissa just rolled her eyes, apparently used to the behavior. " _This house has been in our family for generations, and I will not have you disrespect—_ "

"Oh, piss off, Aunt Egeria" she said. "Lighten up."

" _I most certainly will not 'piss off', and I will not be desecrated in my own home—_ "

"Lily, happen to know any spells to shut her up? I promise I'll say I did it, so don't worry about getting in trouble," said Sacharissa with a grin.

Lily hesitated. She didn't want to get on anybody's bad side, but perhaps helping the girl would make Sacharissa like her more….

Lily swiveled in her chair to see the painting was glaring down on the brown-haired girl ferociously, and she got the feeling that Sacharissa wouldn't be acting so headstrong if the woman was actually in the room with them.

 _"SACHARISSA HYPATIA PERPETUA EGLANTINE PROSSER, I WILL NOT HAVE YOU—"_

 _"Silencio!"_ shouted Lily, pointing her wand to the painting. Immediately, the woman's barks of rage ceased, and she was left mouthing an unintelligible lecture.

Sacharissa laughed, and clapped.

"Brilliant!" she squealed, and Lily smiled sheepishly.

"Is… is that really your full name? Sacharissa Hypa— Hypor— Hyper… oh dear."

"Sacharissa Hypatia Perpetua Eglantine Prosser?" offered Sacharissa, looking extremely pained. Lily nodded. "Yeah. It's horrid. My initials aren't great, either. Shpep. I mean, _Shpep._ It's awful."

Lily gave her an sympathetic smile. She'd never even heard of any of those names before today. Sacharissa smirked.

"Mark's got it worse, though," she said mischievously.

"Sar, don't you _dare—_ " warned Markus.

"Markus Ignatius Secundus Adalbert Prosser, _the third._ " Markus put his head in his hands, groaning. "Mark, your initials are Misap. You're _literally_ just one big mishap."

"Sod off, _Shpep!_ " countered Markus irritably, scowling.

"Hold on, wait," said Lily, as Sacharissa opened her mouth to reply. "There have been _three_ Markus Ignatius… er, Second? And then, um, Albert? Then Prosser, I know Prosser."

Sacharissa giggled, and Markus shot her a glance. "Yeah. My grandfather, who went by Secundus, for whatever reason. My father, who goes by Ignatius, and me."

She shook her head disbelievingly. "I…" said Lily. "Wow." Markus sighed.

"I don't suppose you have some terrible middle names, to even the playing field?" said Markus.

Lily chuckled. "'Fraid not, though my family is very into, how shall I put this… _theme names._ "

"Go on…."

"Well my name is Lily Rose Evans, and my sister's name is Petunia Violet Evans," explained Lily.

"Oh, hell!" said Markus, throwing his hands in the air angrily. Lily looked to him in confusion, unsure of what she'd done. Upon seeing her puzzled expression, he elaborated. "I get the most horrendous name in the entire universe, and you get _two flowers._ It's damn beautiful! This is so unfair."

Lily smiled bashfully. Perhaps she could fit in, after all.

-::-

 **Lily,**

 **Write back. I miss you yelling at me. It's no fun being obnoxious if you're not here to scold me, my darling.**

 **James**

 **P.S. Evans, this is a _prossing_ matter. Time sensitive, and all that, so write back. (Pressing, Prosser? I'm trying, okay.)**

She sighed as she read over the letter again. Clearly, he had no intentions of stopping. She shoved the letter into her trunk, and sent Rowlf back out the window, looking over her shoulder to confirm the clatter of the owl's talons hadn't roused Markus. He was still fast asleep; his hair disheveled and splayed out on the pillow under him. She'd only ever seen it neatly styled, and tilted her head to examine him. Though he'd offered to let her stay in one of their many guest bedrooms, she thought sleeping in two separate King-sized beds to be an insane idea, so she ended up sleeping in his room.

It was, quite like the rest of the house, eerily disconnected from the usual clutter that day to day life brings. There weren't posters on the wall, or books on the shelves. The only thing that gave her any sign that someone lived in the room at all was his wand, lying on the bedside table.

She turned back to the window, and watched the black owl fly higher for a few seconds, before heading to the bathroom. After taking a quick shower, brushing her teeth, and getting dressed, she made her way down to the dining room. She got lost more than she'd care to admit, but eventually sat down in the same spot as the night before, and Sacharissa smiled at her.

Markus arrived moments later, kissing her in greeting and taking his own place at the table just as food appeared on their plates.

"So," said Markus with a sigh. "My parents will be returning in a few days, so I think we better, er, talk about a few things."

"Oh, okay," said Lily, confused.

"What he _means,_ " said Sacharissa groggily, very clearly not a morning person. "Is that our parents are the worst."

"Sar!" chastised Markus.

"What? They _are._ "

Markus scowled. " _Anyway,_ I just think there's a few things you should know before you meet them. Like, for instance, they're not huge fans of Gryffindors, so I wouldn't go parading that around."

"And they're not too keen on Muggleborns, either," muttered Sacharissa. Lily's head snapped towards the girl, and Markus jumped from his seat and glared at her.

"SAR!" he barked, and she put her hands in the air defensively. He jerked his head towards the door, and she begrudgingly left the room. Lily was suddenly wide awake, and her heart was beating fast as Markus sat back down. "I'm sorry about her," he said, though his voice didn't sound very apologetic.

"Is that true?" asked Lily quietly.

Markus grimaced, and nodded. "Yes," he said tersely.

She wasn't sure how to respond, and she couldn't manage to say anything other than, "Oh." He bit his lip, and sighed.

"I'm sorry—"

"No, no… don't be," mumbled Lily. "S'not your fault."

Markus looked like he wanted to say more, but his eyes flicked away from her, looking somewhere just behind her.

Her arm was tugged down, and she turned her head to see the small house elf once again pulling her shirt.

"Away with you, Proddy!" barked Markus.

"Mark, no!" said Lily, taken off guard by the commanding tone that Markus held. "It's perfectly fine." She looked back to the elf, who was already shoving a letter into her hands and scurrying away. She shot Markus a look.

"You didn't have to yell at him," said Lily, as she began opening the letter that was, no doubt, from James.

"He should have waited for us to finish," said Markus pointedly.

She sighed as she saw the Gryffindor boy's handwriting on the parchment.

 **Lily,**

 **This silence is crushing, my darling. I'm suffocating in your torturously persistent indifference.**

 **Would it help if I told you I've just arrived home? Sirius has destroyed my room. Bloody _burn_ marks on the walls. I'm telling you, this is why the Jinxer's Decree is in existence. Though, he didn't technically break any rules, the cunning bastard. But I really didn't expect anything else when he came to live with us! I reckon I should've seen it coming, actually….**

 **How's Prosser? Still inferior to me? Ah, good. That's just how I like it.**

 **James**

 **P.S. No, _Sirius_ ly. Write back. I miss you, Evans. Just look at what your absence has done to my pun abilities!**

Lily blinked. She hadn't know that Sirius was staying with him. Perhaps his own parents were on holiday as well.

"Who's writing you so much?" inquired Markus curiously.

Lily's eyes snapped up to his. "Nobody," she said quickly, instantly regretting how unsure she sounded. He must have noticed as well, because he raised one eyebrow.

"Nobody's been writing to you?" he asked dubiously. "I didn't know that quill's had become sentient."

"Um, James and I've been writing over the holiday."

His eyes flashed, to Lily's surprise. "You and — for the whole… _why?_ "

"Why? Because we're friends!"

"Friends?" repeated Markus suspiciously.

Lily frowned. "Yes, _friends._ "

"Are you sure that's all you are?"

"What? Of course!"

"Right, and is that why you felt the need to hide it from me?"

"No, I — there's nothing going on between him and I, Mark. Surely, you must know that."

He looked away from her, crossing his arms and glaring out the window angrily. Her expression softened. She _had_ been hiding it from him. He was allowed to be mad about that.

"Hey," she said softly, standing and walking over to him. "I'm sorry. The only reason I didn't tell you was because I honestly thought you wouldn't care."

Markus opened his mouth, but closed it again without uttering a word. He sighed, and turned back to Lily, taking one of her hands in his own. He smiled. "Forget it. It's fine."

"Sure?" said Lily, lacing her fingers with his.

He kissed the tip of her nose, resting their foreheads against one another. "Sure," he said.

They kissed, and they spent the rest of the day wandering about Addermouth — the magical town to which Markus belonged.

Not once did she think of James.

-::-

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Lily frowned and snuggled deeper into the blankets. Sleeping in Markus's bed was like resting on a cloud; forest green velvet as light as air, yet as warm as any comforter she'd ever used. Lily suspected they were bewitched to have such qualities, but she found no need to complain about it. She sighed happily.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Her eyes flickered open just the slightest bit. Warm sunshine hit her eyes, and she immediately rolled over to relief her eyes of the brightness. She found Markus on her other side, and her nose was pressed into his back. She relaxed again, burying her head in his shirt.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

She groaned and rolled back over, opening her eyes all the way. Just outside the window, she saw Rowlf, pecking the glass with his beak and demanding that he be let it. She pushed the covers off of her, and swung her feet off the bed. She pulled herself groggily over to the window, and unlatched it. Pushing it open, the owl swooped gratefully inside, and landed on the owl perch just beside it. She took the letter from his talons and slowly unfolded it.

 **Lily,**

 **Stop ignoring these. I know you're getting them. It's not nice to give people the cold shoulder.**

 **James**

 **P.S. Sirius has just told me that Prosser has a 'New Year's Bash' every year? Good luck with that. Oh, and aren't his parent's just love _Lily_ people? (Really straining here, love. Give me something to work with!)**

Lily frowned, and reread the letter. Markus hadn't mentioned a party. In fact, he'd suggested they go out on New Year's. Did he not want to be seen with her? Was he embarrassed of her? She felt anger bubble up in her stomach, and she glared over her shoulder at the sleeping boy behind her. She placed the letter gingerly on the desk, and strode over to her boyfriend. Shaking him gently, he stirred.

His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled when he saw her.

"Good morning," he said, and stretched. Giving him a terse smile, she sat at the edge of the bed as he pushed himself into an upright position and rubbed his eyes. "How'd you sleep?"

She shrugged distractedly. "Er, fine. Hey, are you—"

"Good," said Markus, cutting her off. He rose from the bed, and came to stand in front of her. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her. Under normal circumstances, she would have gladly kissed him back, but she was still vexed that she hadn't been invited to the party. She pushed him away gently, and he frowned in response. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just… well, what are we doing for New Year's?" questioned Lily cautiously. Perhaps he would tell her on his own.

He straightened. "I was thinking we could go to the North side of town. They've got a big Christmas tree in the square. You'd love it!"

She pursed her lips. "We're not… going to your party? At all?"

"What— who told you about the New Year's Gala?" inquired Markus, looking harried and impatient, as if he were scolding a young child.

" _The New Y_ —" started Lily, but stopped mid-sentence, deciding not to address the fact that he just called his party a _gala_ with complete seriousness. She took a deep breath and stood up. "It doesn't matter who told me, Mark. What matters is who _didn't._ That would be you, just so we're clear. Do you not want me there?"

"Was it _Potter?_ " spat Markus. "Did he tell you in one of his _letters?_ "

Lily rolled her eyes. "This again?" she said in exasperation.

"Yeah, Lily! _This again!_ " shouted Markus, crossing his arms. "You expect me to believe you're just, what, pen pals?"

"That's all we are! I haven't even been responding to him since I got here. There's nothing between us."

"Rubbish."

" _Excuse me?_ " seethed Lily, her eyes turning to slits.

"Everyone knows the prick's in love with you! How am I supposed to feel about you writing _him_ over the holidays, and not me? What am I supposed to think?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "He's not _in love_ with me."

"Yes, I'm sure he just waited outside the hospital wing for _twelve hours_ because he thinks of you as a really great friend! Merlin, and you've been writing all holiday. Did you think I wouldn't find out? How thick do you think I am?"

"Wait, hang on. You think I've been _cheating_ on you?" said Lily, the anger draining from her voice, though her temper was still flaring. It stung that he thought so little of her, but Lily was more unnerved over the fact that, once, she almost had.

Markus said nothing, just lifted his head. Lily looked at the floor. She knew that this was the time to tell him about _The Incident_ , but she hadn't a clue how to begin.

"I've never cheated on you," said Lily quietly, keeping her eyes trained on her shoes. "But I — I…."

She took a deep breath. "James and I, er, _almost_ kissed. I don't really know how it happened. We were just walking down the hallway, and then we were almost kissing. I— I pulled away, though! I told him that I wasn't interested. I told him to stop trying!"

She forced herself to look at him, and found a pair of blue, emotionless eyes looking back. She could see the gears turning in his eyes; see him calculating and weighing every word of what he was about to say.

"Why are you dating me, Lily?" said Markus slowly, and deliberately.

Lily frowned. She wasn't expecting that. She thought he would yell, or be angry, but he seemed strangely calm. "Wh-what?" stammered Lily.

"Why are you dating _me?_ " repeated Markus. "If Potter makes you so giddy and lovestruck, why are you even here?"

"He does not make me _giddy_ or _lovestruck!_ " insisted Lily, raising her voice at his accusation. "I can barely stand him!"

He snorted. "Barely stand not being with him, you mean? So much so that you wrote multiple letters a _day!_ "

Lily groaned, and ran her hands over her face. This was not how she'd wanted this conversation to go at all. "Mark, listen. I'm with _you._ Not him, _you._ If I had feelings for James, don't you think I'd break up with you?" said Lily, growing weary of their quarrel. Markus looked at the ground.

"I don't know what you'd do anymore," he muttered under his breath.

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"

He sighed. "Oh, for the love of — you can come to the gala!"

"Oh, please don't do me any favors!" she scoffed. His invitation sounded forced and impatient to her, and she was becoming annoyed with his tone.

"Lily, I'm not… I'm sorry, alright? I want you to come."

She stared at him, arms crossed. His eyes searched hers, but she turned back to his letter sitting on the desk. Folding it, she stuffed it into her trunk and felt his eyes following her.

"Fine."

-::-

Lily hadn't, of course, packed a formal dress in her trunk. She wasn't expecting to attend any parties, and she didn't have nearly enough galleons to buy a new one from the town's shops, so Sacharissa let her borrow one. While the garment was, in her opinion, much too sparkly and tight, she didn't complain as the brown-haired girl helped fit the sapphire dress to her size using magic. She'd been the one to want to go the party in the first place, so she let Sacharissa make her up and tried to keep the grumblings to a minimum as her hair was pulled this way and that.

By the end of the process Lily was regretting the decision to go, but as she looked at herself in the mirror she couldn't help but feel vaguely like a princess attending a grand ball of some sort. Equipped with enough beauty products to kill a small child, she descended the grand staircase on New Year's Eve with Markus, who'd also dressed up for the occasion. While wearing only a hoodie and jeans had felt too casual, she now felt ridiculously overdressed.

However, as she descended their amusingly regal staircase and caught sight of the other guests, she realized that compared to the rest of the people attending the party, she was relatively plain. While all she had on was earrings, the people around her were adorned with golden rings, bracelets, necklaces, broaches, as well as earrings. The women's gowns sparkled and moved in the light, and the men's suits danced just along with them.

Though the discovery that she didn't stand out like a sore thumb helped her nerves, it didn't help much as Markus lead her gently over to a couple that could only be his parents.

They were exquisite, but the sort of beautiful you'd never approach. His mother was a thin women whose age was beginning to show, though this did nothing to decrease her beauty. She was pale and dark-haired, and looked like an older version of Sacharissa. His father was too a slender man, though he was much taller than his wife. Beautiful as they were, they did not appear to Lily as welcoming or friendly in any way.

They turned as Markus and her approached, looking Lily up and down as she smiled nervously.

"Welcome home," said Markus, taking Lily's hand. "How was your trip?"

"Exemplifying — is this her?" said his father tersely. Jerking his head towards her and examining her disapprovingly again.

"Yes, this is Lily," said Markus. "Lily, this is my mother and father."

She smiled, and held out her hand. "Hello. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

They did not smile back. She gulped as neither of them made a move to shake her waiting hand, and awkwardly lowered it back down after a few ungraceful moments.

Perhaps they should have gone to see the big Christmas tree instead, after all.

* * *

 **A/N: The party is very… eventful. That's all I'll say at the moment…. :) Remember to review! This got loooong! This is also, apparently, the Markus chapter, so there you go. What do you think about his house? What do you think will happen with his parents? *insert ominous music***


	15. Fifteen: Winter Holiday Part Two

**Guess who finally updated?! :D Sorry. Here's part 2. Thank you millions to paula2409(Thank you, I'm glad you like it! :P Markus doesn't do himself any favors in the him-being-a-dick department in this chapter.), (I hope you like this one as much as the last! :3), JilyPevans1998(Do you still pity Markus after this chapter?), and Lovejilly(The Prosser Mansion is supposed to be a bit like a more taken-care-of version of Sirius's house, yes. I'm glad you like my puns, seeing as I was a little rusty when I wrote them!) for leaving amazing reviews! I love you so much! :)**

 **James: bold.**

 **Side note: This became longer than I intended it to be. But, then again, a lot of shit goes down. I considered making this a three-parter, but decided to just give you the whole big block of it.**

 **Warning: bad language.**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter Fifteen: Winter Holiday Part Two_

* * *

"Markus speaks highly of you," said his mother, her expression unreadable. Lily laughed nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and willing the redness in her cheeks to go away.

"I should hope so!" she said, her heart beating fast. "He'd be in big trouble if he didn't!"

His mother was not amused. Lily gulped, and his mother shifted her attention to Markus.

"Markus, are the Penroses coming? " she inquired.

He shook his head. "No, Sil's father had a meeting with—" he looked at Lily out of the corner of his eye quickly, "Er, _Him_."

His mother and father exchanged a surprised, and slightly angry, look.

"Are you sure?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, and Markus nodded again.

"How can that be? Is Silenus not still dating that mud—" started his father, speaking for the first time.

"No! No, th-they broke up," said Markus hastily, earning a stern look from his father for interrupting him. "I dunno why He requested to see them."

" _Don't_ know. Enunciate your words, or don't speak at all," scolded his mother, surprising Lily with the coldness of her words.

"Yes, sorry," said Markus. The next few moments seemed to stretch for ages as the four of them settled into an awkward silence. Lily wished someone would speak, though she felt even more uncomfortable when someone finally did.

"Lillian Evans," said Markus's father, looking directly into Lily's eyes. "I'm not sure I recognize your surname — what is it your parents do?"

She almost laughed — it was such an odd thing to ask a person you'd just met, and he'd called her by her full name — but his serious expression and icy gaze told her that was the last thing she should do. "Er, my mum's a nurse," said Lily. "And dad's a surgeon. Or, uh, used to be. He's retired now."

His mother and father raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me, but if I'm not mistaken," started his mother. "Those sound like muggle professions. Does your mother work at St. Mungo's?"

Lily gulped, and she felt Markus tense beside her. He'd warned her not to tell them that she came from muggle parents, but she wasn't ashamed of who she was. She raised her chin a small bit, and inhaled. "No, she doesn't," said Lily, surprising herself with the confidence in her voice. "My parent's aren't magical."

Not only did that silence the two people standing in front her, which now wore disgusted looks on their faces, but it also halted every other conversation in the room. As all eyes turned to her, prying and spiteful, she did her best to keep her breathing steady and her eyes fixed determinedly on the man in front of her.

"And you knew this, Markus?" inquired his father, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Yes, I did."

His father pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes. "I see," he said. "Come, Hypatia. We have guests to attend to." Turning away from Lily and Markus, he walked swiftly away, followed by his wife. Lily was left staring, mouth slightly ajar, after them.

"Lily," hissed Markus. She turned to him, and was surprised to see he was looking at her in anger. "Why did you say that?"

She frowned. "Because it's true."

He glanced around the room nervously, pulling her roughly to an empty corner. "Now they know you're muggleborn."

Lily raised an eyebrow, and crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, is there something _wrong_ with that?"

"No, I—" Markus sighed, shaking his head slightly, irritating Lily further. She was being spoken to like a child. "I just thought we were going to avoid the subject."

"Mark, he was interrogating me!" said Lily incredulously. "How could I have avoided telling him?"

"You could've just said they worked at St. Mungo's" mumbled Markus, Lily suspected more to himself than her, but it still annoyed her.

"You want me to _lie?_ Do you also want me to pretend I'm in Slytherin?" said Lily, who narrowed her eyes when his face lit up with hopefulness at the suggestion.

"Would you do that, because—" started Markus.

"NO!" barked Lily, a little louder than she'd meant to. Surprise was evident on Markus's face, and he placed his hands on Lily's shoulders in an effort to soothe her, glancing behind him nervously. "I'm not embarrassed about who I am. I won't lie, or pretend to be anyone else! If you have a problem with where I come from, you can go shove it up your—"

" _Okay_ , okay! I was only kidding. Calm down,"said Markus, using the same soothing tone one would use on a misbehaving child. It absolutely infuriated her. "Why are you getting so worked up over this?"

"Why am I— are you serious?" scoffed Lily.

"Lily, you're overreacting! Is it… is it _that_ time, or something?" said Markus.

"You son of a — you better not be serious," hissed Lily, her eyes turning to slits and her fists clenching tightly.

"Of course he's not!" said a deep voice from behind Markus. " _I'm_ Sirius." Lily's stomach dropped. He was the very last person she wanted to see. Sure enough, though, when Markus stepped back to see the newcomer, Lily had a clear view of the black-haired boy. He was grinning, and walked a few paces closer. "How are you two fine specimens doing tonight?" he asked, winking at both in turn.

Lily was too angry to notice that this was the first time in days he had spoken to her, and the first in weeks he had looked at her without glaring. "Piss off, Black," she spat. "Can't you see when you're not wanted?"

"You've got to help me, mate. She's gone mad," whispered Markus to Sirius, inching back from Lily.

"Markus Prosser, I will destroy you, you rotten piece of—"

"Hey! Evans, watch your mouth!" scolded Sirius, and Lily turned her white-hot glare to him instead. They were so very, very lucky that she didn't have her wand, because she wanted to redefine the word 'pain' to her boyfriend at that moment. "Whoa, alright, I'm sorry! Relax, I came to apologize."

Lily glowered at him. "For _what?_ "

"For being a prick."

"Just, in general?"

"No, over the last few weeks."

Lily sighed. "Fine. I'm listening."

Sirius bit his bottom lip, searching for the words to begin. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Markus slip away in the crowd, but was too angry with him to care very much. "Right. So, a little fun fact about me is that I get a tad _envious_ at times," he said, and elaborated when she gave him a confused look. "A-and what I mean by that is, er, insanely jealous?"

Lily frowned. "You were… you were _jealous_ of _me?_ Why?"

Sirius sighed, red rushing to his cheeks. "Okay. I'm not going to sugar-coat this, and I won't ever repeat it. In fact, I'll deny this conversation ever happened if you mention it to anyone," he said, and Lily nodded, though she was still very perplexed. "My family is really screwed. As in… like, as bad as you must think Markus's parents are, mine are much worse. So, I don't really… go home, anymore. I stay with Prongs, mostly. Moony, too, sometimes. They're really the only family I have. Or, the only family that'll talk to me. Anyway, moving past that, and on to my abandonment issues! When you and Prongs started… I dunno — whatever you two started — he'd pretty much drop everything to hang out with you. Didn't matter what you were doing, as long as it was with _you_. It hurt, if I'm honest. A lot. And I really just… _hated_ you for that. So, I came over here to say that… I'm really sorry, Lily. You didn't deserve the shit I gave you."

Lily stared at him, processing the speech he'd just given her. There was a few seconds of silence as she decided on what to say next. "Th-thank you, I suppose. But, if you don't mind me asking, why tonight?"

Sirius snorted, and shook his head, giving her an amused look. "Prongs lectured me about how I needed to start my year off by making amends," he said, and Lily smiled. "Oh, and before I forget, he's also sent me with a speech for you, since you haven't been answering his letters." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment with James's handwriting scribbled all over it.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake—" started Lily, but Sirius was already clearing his throat.

"For my dearest Lily, in her sweetest state. I couldn't come tonight, so I've sent my best mate. And although he's not nearly as handsome as I. (As of late, he's been eating far too much pie). He'll have to do, as he reads this to you. And yes, this is a poem that rhymes. They're back in, Evans, get with the times! My beautiful angel, won't you see what you've done? You've ignored my letters, so now starts my fun! I'll now reveal the true purpose of this. Without you, love, I'm an empty abyss. And before you go shaking your head in disregard. Tell me, does Prosser have a graveyard? If the answer is yes, as I've been told. Forgive me, but I must be so bold. As to invite you instead to a shindig of my own. I admit, my dear, to me your circumstances are unknown. But I can assure you without any hesitation, and without any doubt. That if you do come to mine, you won't have to watch out. For icy glares, full of malice and spite. (Again, beautiful girl, are you sure you're alright?) Or wicked words, meant to cut and slice you. (It hurts to think that's what you'll be put through.) I'm almost done, and it's almost over. This is the last bit, you'll be glad to discover. If at any point in the night, you want to succumb. To my life-changing poetic invitation and come. You'll be welcome here, with no questions asked. We'll turn up the charm — put it on full blast! All jokes aside and in complete seriousness, Evans: Your presence would be a gift brought down from the heavens."

Sirius gasped for air, having attempted to read the entire thing in one breath, while Lily stood open-mouthed in shock. That seemed to happening a lot as of late. As Sirius panted in front of her, she tried to decide whether she should be furious or comforted. It must have taken ages for him to write that, and it didn't have anything particularly arrogant in it, so she let herself smile at it.

"That boy has lost it," muttered Lily, laughing.

Sirius nodded in agreement. "He lost it quite a while ago," he said, rolling the parchment back up and handing it to her. "Anyway, are we… you know. Are we good now?"

"Well, I'm still quite pissed at how you treat Dorie, but I suppose there's nothing I can do about that, and it _is_ her choice to stay with you so… yeah. We're good."

Sirius frowned. "What? She's the one who suggested we keep it 'casual'!"

"What?"

"Yeah, she said that she wasn't looking for anything long-term. I keep asking her, but—"

"Wait, are you serious — yes, it's hilarious. Your name is Sirius — but really, are you? Because she's told us the complete opposite," said Lily, and he gave her a bewildered look.

After a few moments of silence, he shook his head in defeat. "I need a drink," he said, and turned on his heel. Lily watched him walk away, and looked around the room again. Somehow, James had described her surroundings perfectly. Cold stares were coming from all directions, she felt adrenaline rush through her body. Swallowing, she hurried to the next room quickly.

As angry as she was with him, she needed Markus by her side if she was going to make it through the party in one piece. Searching the room for any sign of him, she stood on her tiptoes. As she scanned the heads something sharp connected with her back, sending her staggering forward. She struggled to regain her balance, and whipped her head behind her to see a group of young boys scurrying away, snickering as they went.

Before she could go after them, however, Markus's father walked straight up to her, with a horribly unpleasant look on his face.

"Come, _girl,_ " he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her into a less crowded room. They stopped at the edge of it, and he turned to her.

"Markus is a smart man," hissed his father, his grip tightening on Lily's arm. "So I'm not sure what he's doing dating _you_ — perhaps he's trying to rebel. Now, I cannot control what he does at school, but I'd _suggest_ you end your little fling. He deserves better than a filthy mudblood, you see, and I'd hate to have to _prove_ that to you."

His dark eyes bore into Lily's, and she remained completely frozen as the man shoved her away, into a group of girls talking behind her. He stalked away as shrieks of surprise erupted from the girls she fell onto when their drinks splashed and she connected with them. Hands pushed against her back, thrusting her forward again and off of the girls.

She steadied herself and turned to find five very angry glares being directed at her, and her heart sank as she realized that she recognized the faces from school.

"You've just ruined a fifty-four-hundred galleon dress," sneered a blonde girl. Lily vaguely remembered being paired with her in Transfiguration one time. Sheila Lutterworth. She was obnoxious and rude, and had treated Lily as if she had no idea what to do during the assignment.

"And mine!" whined a brunette, who she recognized as Emma Clearwater. Studying the girls more closely, she realized that every one of them was not only Pureblood, but also Slytherin. To the left of Emma, there was a raven haired girl named Lucretia, whose name only remained in Lily's mind because of the time the girl had shoved her in the hallway. The other two girls in the circle she couldn't name, but knew their faces quite well.

"S-sorry!" stammered Lily, still processing Markus's father's threat.

"That's not quite good enough," spat one of the girls she didn't know.

"She should pay us back!" said Lucretia, and several of the girls bobbed their heads in agreement.

"Good idea, Lu," said Emma, smirking at Lily. "Except she hasn't even got enough money to pay for the one she's wearing, much less ours. Isn't that right, _mudblood?_ Did you borrow some of Sar's clothes for the big event?"

The girls around her snickered, and Lily was left speechless. She was right, of course — Lily didn't have enough galleons to buy one of the _drinks_ she'd spilled, most likely — but it was incredibly rude nonetheless. As they cackled, Lily pushed past the other guests and escaped into the next room.

She came to a screeching halt as heads turned in her direction. People looked at her with revulsion, glaring at her from all sides of the room. Hitting her like a ton of bricks, Lily realized that every single person knew she was muggleborn, and every single person wanted to hurt her for it. It was the reason for the glares, and probably why the boys had shoved her earlier.

Lily stumbled forward, black gathering at the edge of her vision. Her head spun, and she caught sight of a bathroom. Pushing the door open, and closing it softly behind her, she leaned against the it. The room was, quite like the rest of his house, ridiculously and unnecessarily over-the-top. She was standing in a sort of waiting room, with a wall separating the golden sinks from the rest of it. So far, it was the only room she'd seen, aside from Markus's bedroom, that was without any judgmental paintings to give her dirty looks. In their place were detailed sconces with green shades.

She took deep breaths to soothe her pounding heart, and looked down at her hands to find them shaking. Markus had been right — they should've just skipped the party. She wasn't wanted, or welcome, in his house, and she'd been a fool to think otherwise.

Feeling nauseated, she staggered over to the toilet behind the wall, collapsing beside it. There were probably Death Eaters at the party. People that could do more than hurt her. They could kill her, and no one would be the wiser until she didn't come home for summer holiday, but by then she'd be rotting away in some hole in the ground with worms wriggling through her. She pulled her knees to her chest, making a desperate attempt to slow her rapid breathing. Was she going to die tonight?

The door was suddenly pushed open, and Lily froze. Hidden behind the wall, whoever had entered was oblivious of her presence. In her overwhelmed state the voices sounded murky and distant, and she couldn't tell if she recognized them, though they sounded vaguely familiar. She was sure they were both male.

"Lock it," one said, his voice deep and commanding. There was a shuffle of footsteps as the second obeyed, and a _click_ as the lock snapped into place. Lily remained perfectly still. The world was still spinning, and her head felt like air.

"I thought you ran away," the second said. Lily was certain she knew these boys; certain she'd heard their voices before. But she couldn't seem to make much sense of anything, much less riddle out who they were.

"I did," said the first, sounding irritated. "Couldn't take it anymore."

"Where did you go?" said the second curiously.

"A friend's place — here, let me," said the first, and there was the sound of fabric moving.

"And they didn't follow you? They just let you go?"

The deep voice sighed in annoyance. "Yeah. They don't give a shit where am I, or what I do anymore. They haven't for a while. But — over here, near the sink — I do miss Reg sometimes."

"Really? I thought you hated him. Didn't he just join—"

"Oy, is this what we're going to do in here? Talk about my familial struggles?"

"No," said the second, and the words were barely out of his mouth when she heard a grunt of surprise from the first, followed by the unmistakable sounds of two people kissing.

While she listened uncomfortably to the grunting and groaning on the other side of the wall for a few awkward minutes, she decided that no matter who they were, she'd much rather interrupt them and face the ungraceful fate of excusing herself than listen to two people shag.

Pushing herself to her feet, and waiting for her tunnel vision to clear, she stepped around the wall, into view.

She then promptly regretted doing so, for there were two details about what she saw that she wished she hadn't.

The first being that one of them was Sirius. He was sitting on the counter, next to the sink, and had his legs wrapped around his companion's. His hair was disheveled and his hands we inside the other's back pockets, while he was breathlessly unbuttoning Sirius's shirt. Sirius's eyes fluttered open for a moment, catching a fleeting glimpse of Lily before closing again. Within instants, however, they had shot back open with a startled yelp and focused on her. Sirius put his hands on the other's chest, pushing him away roughly. "Lily?" cried Sirius, his voice breaking.

But it was the second detail that made her heart stop. As Sirius pushed himself off the counter and frantically tried to re-button his shirt, the other's head snapped around at the mention of her name. Their eyes connected, and they stared at each other in shock. It was Markus.

Lily stared into his blue eyes, and the world came to a stuttering halt. She knew that she should feel angry, or betrayed, or something along those lines, but all she felt was sadness. The rage that had boiled over when he'd accused her of cheating on him remained dormant, and instead a crushing sense of inanity began to overwhelm her. She wanted to yell and scream and break all ties she had with him then and there, but no words came as she remained perfectly still.

"Lily, I—" tried Markus, looking panicked. Suddenly not being able to bear looking at them any longer, she forced her legs to walk toward the door. Before she reached it, she felt a hand close around her arm, pulling her back. "Wait, let me expla—"

She yanked her arm out of his grasp, her head whipping around to glare at him. "Don't touch me," she hissed.

She threw the door open and ran as fast as her legs would allow from the room, hating the sound of his voice. She raced to his room, closing and locking the door behind her. Her breathing was coming quick now; in short and rapid bursts. She tugged her hair and took a few steps forward, feeling dazed. Her eyes flickered around the room, desperate and hungry for a distraction. They settled on his desk, and a letter that lay open on it. She approached it, picking it up with shaking fingers and reading it slowly.

 **Lily,**

 **Are you alright? Please talk to me, Evans. I'm worried.**

 **Did you like my poem? Did it _woo_ you? :)**

 **James**

 **P.S. _Evans_ Sirius is worried about you now. (Off topic, I know. I'm ashamed of myself. Better come visit me to tell me off. 131 Falter Lane, Clarmanock's Ridge, England.)**

Markus must have seen it. There was no other explanation as to why it was already open, as this was the first time she'd ever seen it. Perhaps that's why….

She dropped the letter, backing away from the desk and cradling her head in her hands. Everything had gone so, very wrong. She glanced around the room again, his bathroom catching her eye. Rushing to it, she turned on the faucet, watching the water stream down into the basin. Letting the icy water trickle over the tips of her fingers, her breathing slowed slightly.

She cupped it in her hands, and splashed it gently on her face. It's arctic temperature did little to soothe her frazzled thoughts. As the freezing water dripped off her face, she looked at herself in the mirror. Was she blind, or had he simply hid it well? _He'd_ asked _her_ out. She felt dizzy again, and shook her head.

She needed to get out of his house. Drying her face and exiting the washroom, she took a couple of calming breaths. Where could she go?

James's letter was still lying on his desk, open and abandoned. She walked numbly over to it, and grasped the parchment in her hands. She stared at the ink. His question marks were shaped funnily; almost triangular, and lopsided. They weren't how question marks were supposed to be.

Then again, when was anything how it was _supposed_ to be when it came to James?

Her breathed hitched again, and she held the letter tighter. She fought back tears as there was a knock at the door, and the doorknob jiggled as someone tried to enter. It wasn't hard to figure out who was on the other side of the door. She wouldn't — couldn't — face him. Couldn't take the fighting and apologies, or the flood of sobs that was already threatening to spill forth. But she had nowhere to go. The windows were much too high to attempt any kind of escape, and the door behind which Markus stood was the only other way out.

"Lily!" she heard him shout, though his voice was muffled through door. "Lily, let me in! I'm so sorry. So, so sorry. Open the door, please!"

She knew it wouldn't be long before he retrieved his wand, and when that happened she would have no say in whether or not the door stayed closed. Markus rapped on the door again, and she looked back down at the letter clutched in her fingers.

 _131 Falter Lane, Clarmanock's Ridge, England._

She focused, trying to push the banging sounds of his fists against the door from her mind and concentrate fully on the address. She knew she wasn't old enough to do it, but it was the only way out.

Then, with the same squeezing feeling that she'd experienced when she'd come to Markus's house, she disapparated. Her body was pushed and pulled, and then she was gone. Instead of the dark room she'd been standing in only moments before, she was now on a road. Streetlights lined the sidewalk, and sound streamed out of the house that stood before her. The house that was, unquestioningly, just as large as Markus's. She thought briefly that she might throw up, but the feeling began to ebb away after a few seconds.

Immediately, she decided she much preferred James's house. Unlike the Slytherin's, it seemed more like a home. Warm light flooded from the windows, and she could see people swaying to music inside, drinks in hand. The house itself was made of light stone bricks, with windows arranged in evenly spaced rows along the front. Stairs lead up to the front door, and small round bushes bordered the pathway leading up to them. It looked like something that nobility would reside in.

Perhaps that was why he thought so highly of himself.

Walking up to the front door, she noticed that small chunks of the stairs were missing, which probably had something to do with James. She raised her hand to knock, uncertain that anyone would hear her, but soon found that she had no need to anyway. The door opened as her hand neared it, before she could even knock. It had been opened by a house elf, just as it had at the Prosser's house. This particular elf, however, was dressed in a small black suit and top hat. She was taken aback — she'd never seen a house elf dressed in anything but rags. Not that she'd seen very many, but even the pictures that her schoolbooks supplied showed them in tattered cloths.

Instantly, she noticed how drastically different James's house was from Markus's. The foyer was dotted with people, all of whom looked to be enjoying themselves. Small children chased each other through the rooms, and drinks were moving above Lily's head. It seemed alive, and more like a New Year's party should look like, in her opinion.

She wasn't sure what to do. She blinked for a moment, before taking a couple of hesitant steps inside so the small house elf could shut the door. Her mind was still racing, and she felt queasy again. The elf walked in front of her, tipping the top hat in greeting. "Hello! I'm Pipsky," she said, grinning up at Lily. "Food is in the dining room, drinks are in the kitchen, and the fun is _everywhere!_ Is there anything — are you alright?"

"Wh… what?" said Lily, still in shock.

"You're crying. Are you okay, Miss?" said Pipsky, looking concerned. Lily brought her hand up to her face, and when her fingertips brushed her cheeks she felt wetness.

"Oh, I hadn't realized…" mumbled Lily.

"What can Pipsky do to help?" asked Pipsky. "Do you want some water? Pipsky can get you a bed to rest in, if you'd like."

"No, I'm alright. I just need to… do you know where James is? Potter? He does live here, right?" said Lily, folding the letter back up in her hands. The world began to spin again and she stretched a hand out to brace herself against the door. She felt the beginnings of a nasty headache pounding behind her eyes as the little elf scrambled to her side.

"Miss, are you sure you wouldn't like to lay down for a bit?" asked the elf in a worried tone. "Pipsky could fetch him while you do."

Lily opened her mouth to protest, but shut it as the first wave of her headache washed over her. She nodded silently, and the elf took her hand gently. Lily blinked, and a crackling noise filled her head. She let out a gasp of surprise when she opened her eyes to find that she was no longer standing in the entrance hall, but in a cloud of smoke. Pipsky released her hand and Lily waved her hands frantically to clear the smoke and get a better view of where she was.

"Sorry, sorry!" cried Pipsky. "Forgot to tell you... Pipsky will just go find Master James." Lily was left to watch the elf disappear with a _pop_ and puff of smoke, and looked around the room curiously.

It was large; at least three times the size of her own room. Two large windows adorned the back wall, and each of them had heavy red curtains pulled to the side. The ceiling arched above her head and ornate chandeliers hung from it, it's golden accessories glittering in the light of the setting sun that streamed in from the windows.

An enormous canopy bed was pushed against the wall with copious amounts of yellow throw pillows scattered across the disheveled scarlet sheets, and cluttered side tables stood on either side. A broad dresser was placed on the opposite side, and a few of the drawers were cracked open. A mirror hung above it, and a few vials of peculiar multicolored liquid had been placed on top of the dresser.

Posters of quidditch players and other well-known magical wizards — and, strangely, there was one of a stag — littered the wall to the left of the windows, creating a vertiginous blockade of constant motion as the pictures waved and smiled. Pinned close to his bed were smaller pictures of him and his friends, along with a few witches and wizards she didn't recognize and an oddly high number of dogs, rats, and deer. She looked closer and saw three or four of her, though in the photos she didn't seem to be aware that she was being photographed. She was reading in most of them.

Pushed against the wall she was closest to, and the one that featured the door, was a desk. Old textbooks were stacked precariously on the top, and spare rolls of parchment and bottles of ink were placed hastily to one side. Lily tilted her head and stepped closer to find that he'd made a very neat pile of all her letters in the center of his desk.

The most notable thing about it, however, was how diametrically different his room was from Marcus's. Unlike her boyfriend's, there was no mistaking James's room as uninhabited. Clothes were strewn across the floor and spilling out of his dresser. Shirts were heaped unceremoniously on the back of his desk chair, and his school trunk hadn't been unpacked and was lying open at the foot of his bed. It was, in every sense of the word, chaotic; but she liked it.

She heard flustered voices from behind the door, accompanied by two fast pairs of footsteps. The door was suddenly flung open, revealing a panting Pipsky and a desperate-looking James.

His eyes met hers and he froze. "S-sounded up… upset." wheezed Pipsky as she gasped for air. "Did Pipsky do something wrong?" James blinked, and his eyes flicked back down to the little elf.

"No, no," assured James, and he snatched up his wand from behind his ear. "Er, why didn't you clean my room today, again?" He flicked it, and his room began to tidy itself.

"W-was Pipsky supposed to? Master Euphemia told Pipsky that if James wanted it done, he should do it himse—"

"Right, right," said James, his eyes fluttering nervously from Lily to the elf. "I'd forgotten. Er, Pip, can you go tend to the guests downstairs?"

Pipsky nodded cheerily and disappeared with another _pop_ and puff of smoke. Lily watched as the last few articles of clothing found their way back to where they belonged before she turned to face him. She bit her lip, and shuffled her feet. Keeping her eyes fixed on his shoes, she suddenly couldn't think of a single thing to say.

After a few uneasy moments of silence, he spoke. "You look beautiful," said James, and she looked up at him. He was twirling the wand between his fingers, and giving her a small smile. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she looked away from him again.

"Er, thanks," said Lily. An uncomfortable silence settled between them again as he strode over to his desk, and pulled open a drawer. He searched through it, his glasses slipping slightly down his nose.

"So did Paddy find you?" he inquired.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. He definitely… got to me," said Lily, frowning at the mention of Sirius. James grinned, his eyes still fixed intently on the contents of the drawer.

"And?"

"And… what?"

"How'd you like my poem?" he asked.

A smile tugged at the edge of her lips. "Oh, is that was you call it? It was…" said Lily, searching for the right word. "Long."

James laughed. "Yes, it was," he admitted. Shutting the drawer and moving on to the one beneath it, he added, "You should have told me poetry was the way to your heart, Evans. I would have used it sooner."

Lily snorted. "Poetry is most certainly not 'the way to my heart'. Where'd you get that?"

James smirked and shut the drawer, turning to face her. "You're here, aren't you?"

"Not because of that!" said Lily defensively, watching as he crossed the room to one of his side tables, looking triumphant. "Just because you were…."

"A poetic genius? I'm aware, Evans. No need to shower me with praise," said James, digging through the drawer. What was he looking for?

"No, you arrogant prat! Because you were right!" she said. His hands stopped sifting through the drawer, and his eyes turned back to hers. She crossed her arms, and looked back at the ground. "They all hate me," she whispered. She squeezed her eyes closed, and told herself not to cry. She already looked pathetic enough — fleeing to his house and interrupting his festivities — she didn't want to start sobbing in front of him.

Within instants, she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her to him. She curled her fingers into his shirt, and buried her head in his collar. Her breath hitched and she felt tears run down her face. So much for not crying. "I tried so hard, James. I w-was polite and smiled at everyone I met, and I did everything he told me to," she sobbed. "But I'm still not good enough. I'll never be good enough."

His lips brushed her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "You've always been good enough, Lily," he murmured. "They're just entitled pricks." She sniffed, and he pulled away gently. His hands came to rest at her waist, and she looked up into his eyes. The golden flecks were glittering again.

"What if they're not, though? What if there's something… I dunno. Something _wrong_ with me?"

"They are."

"But, how do you _know?_ "

"Because, Lily," said James, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're perfect."

She opened her mouth to respond, but found herself at a loss for words. Taking her hand, he led her over to his bed and she sat down on the edge. He kissed her forehead and walked back over to the dresser. Quickly fishing something out and closing it quietly, he returned, making sure to keep whatever he had retrieved concealed behind his back. He smiled sheepishly, and ran a hand through his hair. "I, uh, got you something. From Ireland."

"You did?"

"Yeah. I got you a few things, actually," said James, bringing the object into view. It was a black pouch, no larger than her fist, though she suspected that it had been charmed to hold much more. "Christmas presents! They're not all from Ireland though, so don't worry. I was gonna send them to you, but you weren't answering my letters, and I thought you might not be getting them. Were you? Did I do something to upset you? I'm sorry if I did. I think I said that in the letters, too. Do you remember? Did you get them? I sent quite a lot, really. Sorry. I was—"

"For Merlin's sake, James!" said Lily with a laugh. "Yes, I got them. Mark just didn't want me, er, writing you."

James smirked. "Is that so? Well, it was only a matter of time before he realized that what we have is much more powerful than anything you could ever have with him," he said dramatically, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"Just give me the gifts, Potter," said Lily impatiently, though a warm and fuzzy feeling was spreading through her bones at his declaration. Although his comment had cheered her up, it still didn't change the fact that she would rather talk about anything other than her boyfriend.

"Ah, back to last names, I see. Have it your way, Evans," said James, reaching into the bag. Just as she suspected, his arm stretched much further into it than it should have. Sticking his tongue out in concentration, he reached around in the pouch until he found what he was looking for.

Pulling out what looked to be a strange green snow globe, he handed it to her. She turned it over in her hands. Upon closer inspection, she saw that there was an orb resting quietly inside, and the bottom was rather pointy. Along the parts that weren't made of glass were neat rows of silver clovers. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen, and she looked up at him with one eyebrow raised. He chuckled.

"Yeah, that's the one from Ireland. It's called a Sneakoscope. It lights up and whistles when someone does something untrustworthy. It's only a Pocket Sneakoscope though, and they're a bit unreliable," explained James. He reached back into the pouch, and took out another item. This one was much smaller.

He gave it to her, and she examined it. It was a ring with a thin silver band and a transparent gem in the center. It looked alarmingly close to an engagement ring.

"J-James, I'm not going to marry you, if that's what—"

"I like how you think, but don't be ridiculous, Evans!" James reassured her, grinning broadly. "It's a Tempreband. It tells you what the person closest to you is feeling. The stone changes color according to the emotion. I got you some other things, as well, but they're already at Hogwarts. I'll give them to you when we get back — and for future reference, love, the ring I propose to you with will be much bigger."

Lily shook her head as he gave her a wink, and she slid it onto her finger, watching the stone turn from clear to an orangish-red color, not unlike that of a ripe tomato. She looked up at James again. "What's red mean?" she asked.

James smirked, and pulled her from her sitting position back into his arms, letting the bag drop to the floor. He touched their foreheads together, intertwining his fingers with hers with one hand and snaking his other around her waist. "Would that be romance, then—" she muttered.

"Affection, my darling," murmured James, his eyes regaining the dazed quality that Lily hadn't seen in them for quite some time. He kissed her nose, and a tingling sensation spread around her face at his touch. Why was she so relaxed?

They shouldn't be this close. Especially not alone, because the last time that happened….

His head tilted slightly, and he let her hand drop from his grasp, resting it instead under her jaw. Her heart pounded as he tipped her head up, and their mouths were inches from touching. Her lips parted and her vision blurred, her hands coming up to rest on his chest.

They were standing on the same floor title; breathing the same air! The small part of her that was still able to think, the part much smaller than she was willing to admit, was shrieking at her to stop. It was trying to give her every reason to punch him in the gut and tell him to piss off. He was James; arrogant and messy and irritatingly good at almost everything — but he smelled so good, and she didn't dislike the way he was pressed against her. They seemed to fit together so perfectly, and he'd gotten her a Christmas gift. Two, actually! Markus hadn't even gotten her _one_.

Damn. That small part of her was good. She snapped back to reality at the thought of her boyfriend, and his infidelity. She pushed against his chest and backed away, the night's events suddenly all coming back to her. Kissing James would not help anything, except for maybe the way she hated herself for breaking away from him. She curled her fists into balls and pressed them against her eyes. She couldn't run from him this time.

"I-I'm sorry," stammered James, his voice more unsteady and uncertain that she'd ever heard it. Lily shook her head slowly.

"Can— can I just… sleep here, tonight? I don't…" said Lily, her voice shaking with the effort of not crying. "I don't have anywhere else." Removing her hands from her face, she looked up to see James nodding.

"Of course."

Lily nodded again, wringing her hands and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. What was happening to her? She couldn't even control herself when she was around him anymore! She had to ensure that, once they arrived at Hogwarts, they were never again so close in an empty room.

"Do you want to borrow some clothes?"

"W-what?"

"To sleep in. That dress — while you look beautiful in it — doesn't look particularly, er, comfortable. I can give you something more cozy, if you like."

"Oh. Yeah, alright."

After he'd given her a shirt and pants and she'd changed into them, he quickly went downstairs to excuse himself from the rest of the festivities. She found that his bed was more than satisfactory, and that his clothes were big on her, though she expected nothing less.

Once she snuggled into the pillows and blankets on his bed, she took a deep breath. Perhaps everything would right itself by morning. She took another deep breath, and blinked in confusion. There was something eerily familiar about his bedroom. Something about how it… smelled? She frowned, and sat up. Grabbing the pillow from behind her, she sniffed it.

It smelled of oranges, and pine, and fresh laundry.

Lily blinked, and let the pillow drop from her hands. She'd been dreaming about _James_ for weeks? _Months?_

Oh, no.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Remember to review!**

 **What do you think about Markus? Who's worse; Sirius or Markus? What do you think will happen in the morning? :)**

 **By the way, 5400 galleons is about £27,000, or $54,300. Side note: now I'm really curious as to what the symbol for galleons is… (You know, like '£' is for pounds or '$' is for dollars.)**

 **And finally: oh _god_ that poem. It's supposed to be bad, but I am still so sorry.**

 **Get it? Tempreband? Temper… band…? Mood ring? :D**


	16. Sixteen: Aftermath

**this is late. Really, I don't have an excuse. I did at first, but it just eventually turned into full-blown laziness and writer's block, and I'm very sorry. As always, though, a million thank you's to** _ **Lovejilly** (glad you enjoyed it!), **JilyOrWolfstar** (a little secret, actually: I really hate Markus, too. Me and my proofreader nicknamed him Shitboy, no joke.), and **Adeuh** (I'm so glad you liked it! I try to keep the characters realistic; I really hate it when they're flawless. It's boring.)_ **for reviewing the chapter previous! 3 3 3**

 **Side note: apologies for the writing quality, it's not my best.**

 **NOW! Without further adieu, I present:**

* * *

 **THE LITTLE THINGS**

CHAPTER 16: AFTERMATH

* * *

There is an instant, right before a person fully wakes up, when they remember nothing. A blank slate, if you will. For Lily, waking up next to James was one of the happiest split seconds she'd ever experienced, though she'd later slip into a deep denial of that fact. As her memories and thoughts flooded back into her mind, she blinked a few times. She didn't remember falling asleep, or recall that James had reentered the room, but both had apparently happened. She gazed at him, her vision still slightly bleary from sleep.

He'd not gotten under the covers with her, but Lily wasn't sure if that was out of respect or laziness. His glasses were on the side table closest to him, and he'd changed into plain pajamas. He was lying on his back, one of his arms tucked around the pillow under his head and the other hanging limply off the mattress. With one leg also dangling from the bed, he looked dangerously close to tumbling onto the floorboards. Though his mouth was slightly ajar and every time he exhaled a stray lock of hair would stir from his forehead, he looked peaceful. She smiled.

Watery light streamed into the room from the window behind him, and she rubbed her eyes. Pushing herself into an upright position, she stretched. She peered around the room and found that there was a small clock on the far wall that she hadn't noticed before. It read _9:36._ She didn't have to be at the train station until eleven, which gave her plenty of time.

Her stomach let out an angry growl, and she put a hand to it. "Calm down," she mumbled. Looking at James, she debated whether to disturb his sleep. He'd already let her crash at his house — she didn't want to make him fix her breakfast as well.

 _Yes_ , she decided, _I'm perfectly capable of making my own food._

The clothes he had let her borrow were a few sizes too big. One side of the shirt kept slipping off her shoulder, and she'd never noticed just how long his legs were until she had to roll the pants up a few times just to avoid tripping over the soft material.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and trying her best not to wake the sleeping boy beside her, she crept over to the door. It made a small creaking noise when she opened it, but it wasn't loud enough to stir him. She slipped into the hallway and looked up and down it. Even the halls were more homely than her boyfriend's. Instead of snobbish old portraits lining the walls, the Potter's house had pictures of his family and friends. Taking a closer look at one of them, she saw that it was of James, his parents, and two girls she didn't recognize, all beaming into the camera.

It briefly occurred to her that she hadn't a clue where the stairs were, much less where the kitchen was. _How big can one house be?_ She thought dismissively, and started off down the corridor.

After a few minutes of wandering, however, she was completely lost. She ran her hands through her hair in distress, and tried to retrace her steps. What's the use for a house of this size — a house you need a _map_ just to navigate? Her stomach growled again, and she patted it apologetically. She stopped walking and looked over her shoulder, very disoriented. Just as she was beginning to think she'd starve to death before anyone found her, she heard a voice.

"L-Lily?"

Her head snapped back around. Remus was standing a few paces away, peering at her with an awed look on his face. She'd never seen him unkempt. His hair stuck up on one side from lying on a pillow, and his wrinkled T-shirt read _The Brady Bunch!_ in large red bubble letters. "W-what are you doing here?" he asked, approaching her.

"James invited me to the party," she explained.

"And you actually came?" he clarified dubiously.

She snorted, and shook her head absentmindedly. "Yeah, I suppose I did. It's… it's a long story, but do you think you point me to some food? I'm really—". Her belly rumbled loudly again, interrupting her, and she gave him a sheepish look. He smiled, and gestured for her to follow him. She obeyed, trailing slightly behind him as he strode confidently through the hallways.

"It's insanely big, I know," said Remus, casting her a quick glance to ensure she was following and waving a hand towards the corridor. "Took me a few weeks to be able to navigate it properly, especially up here. But if you can get down to… ah, here it is."

They came to an enormous flight of stairs. It spanned two floors and looked out over what appeared to be a living room, though all the furniture had been pushed up against the walls to make space for a massive Christmas tree in the center.

Lily gaped, and Remus laughed when he saw her expression. "If you use these stairs as a sort of 'center' of the house, I've found that it's a bit easier to find your way around. Prong's room, for future reference, is down that way," he said, pointing off to his right. Lily nodded, and they descended the staircase. He guided her through a few more rooms, until they came to the dining room. As they entered, she eyed the man sitting at the table.

He was an exact replica of the boy she'd just left snoring upstairs, except that he'd been able to tame his hair, and had the markings of a much older man. He looked up when they drew near him, and his brown eyes lit up with surprise.

"Oh! Hello, there!" he said, giving her a warm smile. He put down _The Daily Prophet_ and turned his full attention to her. "Sirius isn't here. We've told him not to run out on his lovers in the mornings, but—"

"N-no! Fleamont, no," choked Remus, barely able to contain his amusement. "She didn't — he hasn't… no. This is Lily."

Fleamont's eyes bulged, and his gaze snapped back to hers. He looked her up and down quickly, then returned his eyes to Remus. " _The_ Lily?"

Remus nodded. " _The_ Lily," he repeated ominously. "I'll go wake Prongs. It's nearly ten, he should be up by now, anyway."

She laughed nervously and watched Remus exit the room before turning back to Fleamont. "Er, sorry to intrude on your breakfast," she started, but he waved her off like it was nothing.

"Don't be absurd! You're absolutely welcome here. Would you like something to eat? Euphie! Come look who's here!" called Fleamont excitedly, and his wife promptly appeared at the door on the other side of the room that, Lily presumed, lead into the kitchen. James's mother, who's name she remembered was Euphemia, was a short little woman with frizzy brown hair who wore an apron with burn marks scattered across it. She was the sort of beautiful that resonated from within. She spotted Lily and emerged into the room curiously. "Euphie, this is _Lily_."

Euphemia shot her husband a surprised glance, before hurrying over to her with a wide grin on her face. "My, my," she said, pulling her into a hug. Lily let out a startled squeak, but found the woman's immediate benevolence endearing. She let go, and Euphemia examined her. "You are quite beautiful! Is she not?" she said, looking to Fleamont for confirmation, and he beamed and bobbed his head. Now that she was so close, she could see the familiar hazel eyes, though they lacked the golden flecks that she'd grown accustomed to.

"Green eyes! _So_ green! Lovely! And red hair! Oh, you have wonderful hair, dear. Very beautiful! Such good skin, too! Not a single blemish — not one! I—" said Euphemia, being cut short by a distant clattering sound. James's mother looked off in the direction of the grand staircase. "That'll be James," she murmured under her breath.

Lily let out an inadvertent bark of laughter, then brought her hands up to cover her mouth. She'd found the fact that she had come to automatically associate loud bangs and crashes with her son amusing, but hadn't meant to laugh.

Euphemia focused back on Lily, smiling. "You have a wonderful laugh, dear, no need to keep it in! Are you hungry? You must be, James always forgets to offer food," she said, pulling her wand — a short, bumpy piece of spruce — out of her apron and flicking it towards the table. Copious amounts of eggs, toast, bacon, and strawberries appeared on the table, as did five sets of plates and silverware. The glasses filled themselves with orange juice, and three ice cubes dove in after it in each. Lily's mouth watered as the scent of it all drifted towards her, and her stomach complained once more. "Is this all to your liking?"

Lily nodded vigorously, and stared as the bacon sizzled as though it was still on a pan. She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by distressed shouts from the staircase, though she couldn't make out what exactly what it was they were saying. Euphemia didn't look to the sound this time, but instead simply walked around the the other side of the table and took her seat.

Unlike the Prosser's house, the dining table wasn't ready to feed the entirety of the United Kingdom. It definitely wasn't small, but it felt more personal than Markus's; more familial. Lily copied the older woman and sat down at an empty plate while she listened to a pair of heavy footsteps rush hurriedly down the stairs, and turned in her chair to witness James burst into the room.

He grabbed onto the door frame to stop the momentum from his sprint, and looked frantically at the three people at the table. Remus appeared from behind him, obviously amused by his friend's panic. James opened and closed his mouth, searching for something to say.

Remus looked pityingly from James to Lily, then cleared his throat. "Mum's asked to see me before I return to Hogwarts, so I've got to go. Thanks for inviting me, Fleamont, the party was loads of fun— and you've got to give me your pie crust recipe, Euphie, because now I'm addicted to it," said Remus, smiling gratefully.

Fleamont nodded in appreciation, and Euphemia beamed at the compliment. "Oh, you're too sweet, Remus! Are you certain you can't stay for breakfast?"

"As delicious as it looks, I'm afraid not." He gave a little wave to the two adult wizards, shot his friend one last reproachful look, and disappeared behind the door.

There was a long stretch of silence in which nobody was quite sure what to say. James straightened his glasses, which had been put on crookedly in his rush downstairs, and sat down next to Lily. His parents waited expectantly for him to explain her sudden appearance in their home.

"Er, right," said James, throwing her an apologetic glance. "This is Lily. Evans. Lily Evans. That's her name. Well, Lillian Evans, but nobody calls her that. Or maybe they do. But I've never called her Lillian, that I can remember. I gave her an invite — well, _I_ didn't. Uh, Sirius did. At another party. He was already going to go, and I just gave him the invitation and told him to give it to Lillian Evans. But I didn't _say_ Lillian Evans, because nobody calls her that, I said Lily Evans. I-I didn't think she'd come. But she did. Come, that is. She did come. She came here. Lillian Evans came here. Of her own free will, too! I didn't force her here, or anything… I said she could come, and she came. She really, actually came—"

"For Merlin's _sake,_ James," said Lily, thoroughly entertained by his stammering. It seemed to be a habit of his when he was nervous or anxious. He looked at her, desperation and panic evident in his expression. "I'm very sorry I spent the night without asking, I just didn't really have anywhere else to go," she said, addressing his parents and excusing him of any further explanation.

"Oh, it's quite fine, dear," said Euphemia. "You're always welcome to stay here. We've heard such wonderful things! James talks so much about you that we—"

"Do you need a lift to the station, Lily?" said James loudly, cutting off his mother and causing Lily to jump in her chair.

"Er, yes," she said hesitantly. "If it's not too much trouble."

"Brilliant. Mum? Can I talk to you for a moment? Privately." He stood up from his seat and walked into the hallway, his mother following.

She made polite conversation with Fleamont while she finished off her perfectly cooked meal, and when Euphemia and James returned it was decided that they would leave in thirty minutes. There were some complications — Lily hadn't her wand, robes, or trunk — but James reassured her that she could borrow his clothes and that they would retrieve her things as soon as they got to the castle.

He guided Lily back to his room and began rummaging through his old clothes in search of something that would fit her. She sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Sorry about that." James's voice was slightly muffled from inside his closet.

"About what?"

He emerged with a few shirts, and leaned against the door frame. "My parents," he said, as if it were obvious. "They can come on a little strong sometimes."

She thought back to how his mother had seemed to assess every small detail about her, but just shrugged. "Honestly, it was sort of nice. I mean, last night was much worse. Markus's parents asked me if—" She stopped short. Talking about the night previous still sent pangs of sadness and shame through her. A heavy weight descended upon the conversation.

James's features softened, and he gingerly placed the folded clothes on the dresser and approached her, sitting down a few inches to her right. "Lily, I… I know how those kind of wizards are. The awful sort who've developed a superiority complex just because you weren't born into all of… this." He made a swooping motion with his hand, gesturing to all his room, and everything magical within it. "And I definitely can't say I know how you feel, because I don't and never will, but I _am_ here for you. If you ever need a big, handsome shoulder to cry on, I've got you covered. Always."

She was momentarily taken aback by the sincerity lining his voice. Looking at him gratefully, she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered. He wrapped an around around her torso and pulled her a small bit closer. "But I'm not sure you can provide that."

He frowned, looking at her in confusion. "What?"

She smirked, and poked his arm. "Well, it's not so much 'big and handsome' as it is 'gawky and pointy'. You're like a bean pole."

He grinned playfully. "The sexiest bean pole that ever was, Evans." His head came nearer to hers, and her stomach did a somersault. "But really, are you sure you're all right? The entitled prats, they were the only thing bothering you?"

She hesitated. Saying it out loud would solidify it, and at the moment it still felt unreal, in a way. If she confided in him, she'd have to start coming to terms with it, and she was already perfectly happy with simply sitting in James's room poking fun at him and pretending nothing was wrong. She couldn't lie to him, though. Partly because she trusted him enough that she'd feel guilty about it, and partly because her fibbing abilities were beyond abysmal.

"It was, uh, mostly the entitled prats, but there was… one other thing." He listened intently, looking both concerned and curious. She wasn't sure how to say it, so she figured it would be best if she just forced it all out at once. "Mark… cheated."

James blinked. "Cheated? On you?" Lily bobbed her head in confirmation. "While you were wearing _that_ and looking like you did?" He pointed to the sapphire dress she had borrowed, and she shrugged. Then he laughed nervously. "Well he's either the biggest bloody idiot in the world who had also temporarily gone blind, or he's gay. Seriously, there's no way a sight-having, right-minded, and straight man would ever cheat on you!"

She laughed coldly. "Oh, he _Sirius-_ ly cheated, all right."

He opened his mouth to respond, but his seemingly built-in, pun-sensing talent stopped him before any words could escape. His expression, which had previously been a mixture of incredulity, astonishment, and sympathy, went completely blank. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. " _Please_ don't tell me that was a pun, Evans. Please tell me he… tell me he didn't."

Lowering her gaze, she fell quiet for a moment. "I was in the bathroom, and they just, sort of, came in and—"

He let out a long groan, and covered his face with his hands and hunched over. "That absolute prick," he mumbled through his fingers.

Scoffing, she crossed her arms over her chest. "I can think of a few stronger words than that."

He nodded solemnly. "And he deserves every last one of them." He opened his mouth to add something, but looked conflicted. They sat in held silence as he carefully considered his next words. "You don't sound very… er, broken up about it."

She pressed her lips together and averted her eyes. He was right, but she'd been trying not to think about that. Shouldn't she have properly cried by now? Markus was her boyfriend, after all, and it felt strange to be even slightly indifferent. She swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat. "I'm trying to be," was what she ended up saying, though she'd meant to try and convince him that she was, in fact, very much upset. Peculiar, how honest she always seemed to end up being around him.

James frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means that… that I _feel_ like I should be heartbroken. Like I should want to collapse into a muddled heap of tears, but I… don't. At best, I feel annoyed. Is that awful of me?" said Lily guiltily.

He scoffed, and looked her disbelievingly. "Are you joking? _He_ cheated on _you_ , and you're calling yourself an awful girlfriend?" Lily shrugged.

"Shouldn't I have… I dunno, seen this coming?"

"No! If Mars appeals to him so much, it's not Venus's job to notice! It's his own damn responsibility to break up with you if he's got feelings for someone else!" declared James angrily. "How can you even think—"

"Who's Mars?"

"What? Oh. You know, the saying! Men are from Mars and women are… that _is_ a muggle thing, right?"

"Oh. Yes, I suppose," mumbled Lily distractedly. What James was saying made sense, but it still didn't explain why she felt next to nothing. She couldn't even blame Markus for choosing Sirius, as she'd always thought him to be fairly attractive. Physically, at least.

"Lily?" His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "You're all right, though? Because my shoulder's still up for grabs."

She smiled. "I'm all right."

James stood from the bed suddenly, and turned to face her. "Okay, so, _obviously_ he crossed a line and nothing can undo what he did." Her gaze followed him as he retrieved his wand from his bedside table. "But that doesn't mean setting his clothes on fire wouldn't _help,_ right?"

"I certainly don't see the harm."

He grinned, and they abandoned their search for spare and smaller clothes in favor of bringing every fashion item that Sirius Black was keeping at the Potter's out into his backyard — which was actually more like a courtyard, but that's beside the point — and burning them to ashes using an explosive spell that Sirius himself had created. Because, as James has said, "Revenge is sweet, but even sweeter with a pinch of irony."

-::-

After everything was said, done, and thoroughly burnt, James's parents transported her, along with their son, to Platform 9 3/4. I n the end, the two of them managed to find a shirt that James had worn in his first years at Hogwarts, which was a bit small on Lily, and a skirt that one of his female cousins had forgotten at his house one time. It wasn't an attractive combination, but it was definitely better than wearing either the luxurious blue dress, or nothing at all.

They bid farewell to Fleamont and Euphemia and boarded the train in search of empty seats. Lily spotted Marlene fairly quickly, and went quickly to join her. James parted before she reached her, saying something about going to find Remus and Peter.

She sat down next to her friend, and frowned slightly. Something was off. If nothing else could be said about the blonde witch, it was that she had excellent posture, but Marlene's arms were crossed and she was slumped down in her seat.

"Mar?" said Lily, eyeing her friend warily. "Is everything alright?"

She scowled, and glanced to her. "I suppose that means you didn't get the letter I sent you?" Lily shook her head, and Marlene sighed in annoyance. "Will you just get a bloody owl already? I don't care what your sister says; you need one."

"Never mind that," dismissed Lily. "What was in the letter?"

She hesitated, her eyes darting around the compartment nervously. "Well, er, there's been rumors going around that… uh, there might be an attack on the school. The Daily Prophet said that there've even been Deatheaters spotted near Hogsmeade, but my mum says that's a load of rubbish. Anyway, the point is… Mary's parents have pulled her out of Hogwarts. They're going to send her to Beauxbatons."

"The _French_ school? Mary doesn't even speak French!"

"That's what I— what are you _wearing?_ " She peered at her ill-fitting clothes with a mixture of concern and disgust, then looked to Lily for an answer.

"Uh, long story?" Marlene only shrugged in response, then returned to moping as Lily tried to digest what her friend had just told her.

Deatheaters spotted near Hogsmeade? That was surely untrue. She would have heard about it before now, if that was really the case, but that didn't stop her from feeling a prickle of fear run down her spine.

"So," sighed Marlene. "How was your Christmas?"

"Pretty damn rotten." She had every intent to inform her friend about just how rotten her holiday had truly been, but she didn't want the conversation to turn into a stream of apologies on Markus's behalf and pitying looks, so she kept quiet for the time being.

"Yeah, same. Our tree caught on fire."

Lily grinned. "How'd you manage that?"

" _I_ didn't do anything! I suppose a burning Christmas tree is just what we get for inviting the Potters." She smiled widely, and sat up straight from her hunched position, looking happy and excited for the first time since had Lily entered the compartment. "James was trying to put little green and red fireballs inside the clear ornaments, and his wand slipped."

As the two friends laughed, there was a small knock from the glass door, and she looked up to see Peter standing on the other side of it. He motioned for her to unlock it and she obeyed, allowing him, Remus, and James to venture inside and find seats of their own. They spent a short time playfully teasing James about his fiery mishap, but the topic was quickly forgotten as Remus and Peter treated them to their own disastrous Christmas and New Year stories.

Neither Dorcas nor Sirius ever showed up behind the door. Markus also didn't, but that may have been on account of his desire to keep all of his limbs in tact and attached.

When the train finally arrived at Hogwarts and the clump of sixth year Gryffindors had made their way to the Great Hall, they found seats together at the long wooden tables. She still hadn't caught a glimpse of Markus. Unsure if that was simply because of the sheer mass of the student body or because he was avoiding her, she found herself enjoying his absence. They piled their plates high with delicious looking food and talked blissfully about nothing in particular.

Halfway through their supper, Sirius and Dorcas made an appearance. Silently, Sirius sat down next to Remus, as far away from her as he could manage while still sitting with his friends, and Dorcas sat next to him. Marlene frowned at Dorcas, and James stared at his black-haired friend without expression. They finished their meal, Remus and Peter going about it completely ordinarily, and the rest of the group eating tensely.

Lily let her fork clatter down onto her plate, and looked to Sirius. "So, you're not even going to try to apologize?"

His dark eyes snapped up to meet hers, his face unreadable. His lips parted as if he were about to say something, but nothing came. Before he had any more time to sit in her expectant glare, Dumbledore rose and spoke, effectively excusing him of responding.

She didn't listen to his 'Welcome Back' speech; she couldn't bring herself to care. Instead, she spent the entire time with her gaze locked on Sirius's, which he carefully avoided. The moment the Headmaster dismissed the sixth years to their dormitories, Sirius was up, out of his seat, and walking briskly towards the exit, leaving Lily looking angrily after him.

The three boys hurried after him, and Dorcas tagged along. Lily scowled, and began to make her way back to the girl's dormitory with Marlene.

"Have you noticed that she follows him around like a lost puppy?" grumbled Marlene.

"How do you mean?" inquired Lily.

"Dorie never leaves his side anymore! She even ditched me over the holidays to spend time with him," she folded her arms over her chest. She didn't sound angry as much as she did sad. Lily stayed silent, lost in thoughts. Her friend was right. It seemed that wherever Sirius was, there was also Dorcas, and wherever Sirius wasn't, there too wasn't Dorcas.

"Hey, speaking of Sirius, what was all that back in the Great Hall? I've _never_ seen him speechless," said Marlene. Lily sighed. She looked over her shoulder and, upon seeing that the corridor was mostly empty, pulled the blonde witch into an empty classroom. "Well that was very secretive of you. This must be juicy."

Lily quickly explained to her what had happened on New Years — everything, from the party, to going to the Potter's — and crossed her arms as she waited for her reaction.

"Why didn't you come to me?" said Marlene after a brief pause, sounding hurt.

"I don't know where you _live,_ Mar," reminded Lily pointedly.

"Yeah, but I was at that party."

Lily blinked in surprise. "You were? Oh… well, if I'd know that, I would have come found you. Obviously."

"Why'd you go to his room, though? That's very… straightforward," Marlene said, waggling her eyebrows and winking. Lily flicked her irritatedly. "Where did you sleep? Did you find the Knight Bus, or something?"

She almost asked what a Knight Bus was, but figured it was self-explanatory. "I slept with James." Marlene choked, and she backtracked. "No! No, that's not what I — we didn't… no! I slept in his _bed!_ His ridiculously enormous bed, and we were very, _very,_ separate. Stop looking at me like that!"

She was grinning knowingly. "Okay, Lily. Whatever you say."

"I was unconscious at the same time Potter was unconscious and we happened to be in the same room."

"But surely you did something beforehand. Something that may have involved… exercise?" She tried to shove the blonde witch, but she ducked out the way in the nick of time.

"We just talked, you prat! We talked, and… and…"

"And…?"

"It was sort of nice, alright? Is that what you want from me?"

" _Yes!_ Did you two cuddle? Oh, my — please tell me you two kissed. It's about time."

"What? No! I'd never—"

"Lily," interrupted Marlene, her eyebrows raised. "Are you telling me you're not attracted to that boy? Because anyone with eyes and a a thing for guys is attracted to him."

"Of course I'm not. It's _Potter._ "

"Oh, really? All the yearning gazes and drool all over your desk when you look at the back of his head in class says something very different."

Her eyes bulged. "I don't — you're not — I do not _drool!_ I look at him with… with—" she sputtered incredulously.

"Lust?"

" _Annoyance!_ "

"Riiiight."

She scoffed. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah? Then how come we've spent more time talking about the fact the you and James were within five feet of each other _again,_ then we've spent addressing the fact that Markus bloody cheated on you?"

"Because…" tried Lily, hoping the answer would come to her. "B-because…"

"I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with 'dove'."

She took a few staggering steps back, and looked at Marlene in revulsion. "I am not, nor will I _ever,_ be in _love_ with _Potter,_ " she spat, and turned on her heel and raced away.

Her mind was reeling as she sped down the corridors. How could she think… what could possibly have given her the impression that… she shook her head dismissively. She climbed the stairs to the Gryffindor tower, taking the steps two at a time, and burst into the nearly deserted common room. Ignoring the prying eyes following her every move, she stomped up to her dormitory. She found that most of the other girls were in bed and, if not asleep, lying drowsily on their mattresses. Sitting at the foot of her bed was her trunk. Slightly confused as to how it got there, she approached it cautiously. She certainly hadn't brought it up herself, so who had? Neither James nor Markus, the only other two who knew that she needed it, had access to the girl's dorms. There was a small card on top of the luggage — a small white piece of paper with a heart drawn on in black ink, and next to it lay her wand. She picked up the wooden object, fiddling with it absent-mindedly.

Markus must have had one of the other Gryffindor girls bring it up for him. She loured. If he thought that returning her lost possessions and giving her a hastily-made card with a heart on it would fix what he had done, he was sorely mistaken.

She crumpled the piece of paper into a ball, stored her trunk under her bed, and placed her wand on the bedside table. She climbed into bed without bothering to change into her pajamas, and shut her eyes tightly.

James flitted in and out of her dreams. Each time he appeared, she ran from him.

-::-

Her eyes opened the next morning to the busy sounds of people getting dressed, showered, and awakened. She quickly got ready for the day, putting on a proper school uniform and tucking the borrowed clothes into a bag to return to James when she saw him next. She made her way down to breakfast, where Marlene and Dorcas were the only ones to join her. Lily relayed all the holiday's unfortunate events to Dorcas, who seemed angrier at him than even she was.

After finishing their meals, they quickly made their way to Potions class, where Slughorn was nowhere to be found. Markus, however, could very clearly be seen on the other end of the classroom. She parted from her friends to approach him at his desk, where he was talking to his friends. Ingrid and Silenus looked up from their conversation as she put her hand down on the table.

Markus closed his eyes, and didn't turn to face her. "Hey there, _sweetheart,_ " said Lily, sickly sweetness dripping from her voice. "I was wondering where you'd got to."

He blinked. Pressing his lips together, he finally met her gaze. "Y-you aren't mad?"

"Mad? Of course not," seethed Lily. "I'm furious. You've also not done yourself any favors by avoiding me, because now we're going to do this here, and now."

Markus swallowed nervously. "Do… what?"

"What the _hell,_ Markus? Cheating on me is one thing, but with a— _oomf!_ " Markus had shot out of his seat, and quickly covered her mouth with his hand. She squirmed under his grasp, attracting the attention of a few of her classmates sitting at nearby tables. He leaned in closer to her ear.

"Lily, pl-please don't do this in front of everyone. Please. _Nobody knows._ " She stopped writhing, and became still. Now that she was face to face with him, all the anger was beginning to bubble back to the surface. As mad as she was, however, she didn't want to out him in front of the entire class. Call it a basic human right, but she felt that there were more civil ways to get back at him. She pursed her lips, and grabbed his wrist. Dragging him outside and into the hallway, she shut the door behind them. He exhaled, and squeezed her hand. He looked extremely relieved. "Thank you."

Snatching her hand away from his, she glared at him. " _Talk._ "

He lowered his gaze, and chewed his bottom lip while he hesitated. "Well… I suppose, to start, I should say that me and… me and… _you know_. That was the first time — the last time! It-it just happened. And I'm so sorry, Lily. Really, I am. I wasn't thinking. And I definitely didn't intend for you to have to witness it. I'm sorry."

"Yes, you proved how sorry you were when you avoided me like the plague. All I want to know is… _why?_ "

Markus frowned. "I didn't choose this, Lily. I can't help it."

"What? No, that's not—"

"Is that why you're so upset? You don't like I'm… n-not… I'm not…" He seemed unable to admit to himself what he had done, or who he had done it with.

"Mark, no _._ I want to know why you _cheated_ on me. I don't bloody care if you're gay! Or bi, or pan, or _whatever!_ "

"I'm not gay!" he protested adamantly, and she raised her eyebrows.

"I'm not sure if there are many things gay-er than two males snogging," argued Lily.

He looked offended. "I don't — you're not… whatever, I bet I can guess where you ran off to. Was it Potter's? He sends you letters, and flirts with you, and you two have probably already shagged behind my back!"

She looked at him blankly. It seemed that whatever the conversation they were having, it always came back around to this; he thought that she was cheating on him with James. She took a deep breath, and raked a hand through her hair. "We're over, Markus." There wasn't any malice in her voice, instead it was laced with fatigue. She'd simply grown tired of the amount of effort that was required of her to keep this relationship up and running.

"I've never kissed James, despite what you seem to think. I've come close, actually, but because I have a little thing called _self-restraint,_ I stopped myself. I dunno, I suppose I thought that you would extend the same courtesy to me. I guess not, though, so we're done."

He didn't put up a fight to her termination of their relationship, which stung a little bit, but he did give her a small, sad smile. "I figured you'd dump me. Just so you know, Lily, I _am_ sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

"Before I go, I've got to know something. Did you really think that a heart card was appropriate, given the circumstances?"

His brows furrowed. "What you talking about?"

"The little — here, look." She reached into her pocket, pulling out the wrinkled paper and flattening it out against her palm to show him. He shook his head as he looked it over.

"Wasn't me," he said, shrugging.

"Really? Then who…?" James. She still had no clue how he got in, perhaps he just asked one of her roommates to place it on her trunk and never entered the room at all, but she should have seen it coming.

She turned away from him, intent on rejoining the class, but he caught her arm. "Wait! Could you, er, maybe keep this to yourself? I mean, you can spread dirty rumors, if that suits you, but maybe… k-keep them… heterosexual?"

She watched him for a moment, before nodding, reentering the classroom and quickly sitting down in the empty seat next to Dorcas. She gave her a concerned look as Lily got out her books, parchment, and quill.

"I'd ask how it went, but I heard every word," said Dorcas sympathetically, and Lily threw her a look.

"I didn't plan for it to get that loud," said Lily, grimacing. "Could you really hear every word?" Dorcas shook her head.

"No, but I definitely heard shouting. Shouting usually means it went poorly."

"Well, this was no exception. We're broken up. I'm a bit relieved, honestly," sighed Lily. "Our relationship was so… draining."

"How's that?" inquired Dorcas, as Lily's eyes trailed her ex-boyfriend as he walked quickly back over to his desk.

"He kept accusing me of cheating on him with James."

"Aren't you?"

Lily's head whipped around, and she scowled. "No! I'm not — why does everyone think I have a thing for Potter?"

Dorcas put her hands up, and let out a small laugh. "Easy, there. No need to get defensive, it was an honest mistake."

"Whatever. And I wasn't being _defensive_."

"Yeah, you were. You always use 'Potter' when you are. Old habits die hard, I guess," said Dorcas. Professor Slughorn came shuffling through the door, so Lily held back the hex she so desperately wanted to perform and settled for glaring at her ebony-haired friend.

"Me and _James_ are not, and never will be, together. Ever."

Dorcas gave her dubious glance, but said no more on the subject as class began.

* * *

 **What'd you think? Leave your questions, comments, and theories in a** **review;** **I always respond to them in the next chapter. :)**


	17. Seventeen: Enlightenment

**I shower Starrya47** _(Oh, my goodness, thank you! :D I hope the wait was worth it! [I'm also a fan of Paper James] In my opinion, no matter how angry you are, it's not cool to 'out' someone before they're ready; it can be very detrimental to their personal life, and sometimes it's not safe for them to come out.)_ **, WoodAndSteel** _(I'm glad it was as fun to read as it was to write! He was caught off-guard when she showed up, whereas usually their interactions are very controlled — he initiates them, and his parents don't almost expose him as the #1 Jily stan!)_ **, Osced** _(Lily can't run from her feelings forever, as we'll soon find out! And as for the last bit, who doesn't like a little bit of soap drama? :P )_ **, Cinder Luna** _(The whole story?! Thank you so much! I'm glad I was able to give the story an unexpected twist; I was a little anxious that it was too guess-able.)_ **, Guest** _(I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations!)_ **, and Smallwjl** _(The Prosser family is just full of surprises, aren't they?)_ **with billions and millions of 'thank you's and 'I love you's! Seriously: thank you all so much for the feedback, it absolutely makes my day and I love hearing what you think! :)**

 **Author comments are below the chapter.**

* * *

 **The Little Things**

 _Chapter 17: Enlightenment_

* * *

"Are you okay with this? Do you want me to hex him?" whispered Marlene, as she and Lily stared at the pairings on the blackboard. It seemed McGonagall wanted Marlene and Markus to work together for the end-of-year assignment, as their names appeared next to each other. Her eyes wandered down a few rows, and stopped when they landed on her own partner. Last year, she would have considered jumping off the astronomy tower if she'd seen James's name beside hers, but now she thought that, as long as she kept him on task, it might be bearable. Only time would tell.

She sighed, and shook her head somberly. "No, don't give him a hard time," said Lily. "I mean, don't give him an _easy_ time, but be civil." Marlene nodded and left to find Markus.

Looking over the sea of tables for her own partner, she instantly recognized the messy black head, and approached him. He was sitting alone, hunched over a piece of parchment and furiously scribbling something on it. Judging by the small ink marks appearing magically below his own sentences, she assumed it was an enchanted parchment. What she didn't know was who he was talking to.

As usual, he wore a slightly wrinkled white button-up, and his gold-and-red-striped tie hung loosely from around his neck. Wand tucked behind his ear and leg tapping impatiently, a smile crept onto her face. Why simply seeing him cheered her up, she had no idea. She briefly recalled her friend's theory — the one that rhymed with 'dove' — but recoiled from the idea so fast that her head actually jerked back a bit. Shaking her head to clear it, she took a deep breath.

Lily tugged her bag off her shoulder, and placed it down on the ground beside the empty chair next to him. She took her seat, but he didn't acknowledge her presence. Though she attempted to discreetly sneak a peek at what he was writing, she couldn't make out whose handwriting was responding to him, and a quick glance around the room to see that nobody else was writing told her that whoever it was that he was corresponding with was in a different class.

She reached into her bag, pulling out paper and quills and a bottle of ink, and set them neatly down on the desk. James huffed in annoyance, and slumped against the back of his chair.

"Something the matter?" said Lily, straightening her skirt. He jumped, eyes widening as he realized that she was there.

"Er - no, uh," he stammered, grasping for words as she gazed at him inquisitively. "Forgot to finish some homework, that's all." He quickly stuffed the parchment he'd been writing on back into his bag.

"Homework?" repeated Lily skeptically.

"Yep." Whilst trying to decide if she cared enough to press him on the matter, McGonagall entered the room, briskly walking to the front and setting up the day's lesson. "I heard you broke up with Prosser," said James quietly as the class found their seats. "Are you—"

"Please, don't ask me if I'm alright," said Lily curtly, staring straight ahead. James shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and she looked down at the table. She hadn't meant to snap. He was, after all, only trying to be nice. "Sorry. It's just… that's all anyone's asked since me last week, when it happened. It's over, I'm done with it, and now I want everything to go back to normal."

He reached up to ruffle his hair, giving her a thoughtful look, then smirked. "Normal it is, my darling. You look stunning today, by the way, have you done something to your hair?"

"That's not exactly what I had in mind," she said, rolling her eyes.

He laughed quietly as the lesson began. "This group assignment," started McGonagall once she'd commanded the class's full attention, "will greatly impact your final marks, so make sure it's your best work. There are three parts to it. First, you and your partners, which are displayed on the board, will pick an animal — magical, or otherwise. Then you'll come in front of the class in one month, turn two random objects of my choosing into small versions of that creature, and give a presentation about why you chose that animal. Questions?"

Lily didn't see the unconvinced look James gave their teacher, she was too busy frantically copying the instructions onto her piece of parchment, but she didn't have a hard time picturing it.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?" said McGonagall, and Lily lifted her eyes to see that James had raised his hand.

"Can I make a mini James?" he asked excitedly, and Lily immediately objected.

"I'm not spending four and a half weeks learning how to make _more_ of you!" The class chuckled around her, and James grinned along with them.

"Think about it, Evans! There'll be a bunch of little targets running around for you to practice hexes on. Come on, you'd love it," he reasoned, sliding his wand out from behind his ear, and twirling it between his fingers.

"They'd be far too busy trying to look up my skirt to hold still enough to be effective targets!"

James looked mildly offended at the jab to his character, but his smile didn't fade. "I'm sure the minis—"

"I can assure you that 'the minis'," interrupted McGonagall loudly and recapturing the two bickering students' attention, "won't be invading your privacy, Miss Evans, as that is absolutely _not allowed._ "

Lily shot a triumphant grin his way, which he pointedly ignored. "Well then, what am I supposed to choose?"

The professor pursed her lips. "Might I suggest, to any student who may feel that they are stuck, that they choose their patronus? I am well aware that it is very advanced magic, but I'm sure you're all capable of producing enough of a corporeal patronus to make out what it is. I've spoken with Professor Snyders, and he's assured me that he'd be more than willing to help."

James pouted, and the rest of class was spent going through the rules of what, specifically, was and was not allowed to be chosen. The list included cats, dogs, and dragons, and she concluded that it was the only list that grouped those particular three animals into the same category. By the end, Lily had managed to convince him that they would use the Patronus Charm, and go with whichever one of their patronus's was more impressive. He seemed confident that his would be better as they strolled out of class side by side and headed towards the grassy area flanking the Quidditch pitch.

"Sorry, but stag beats whatever yours is," said James. They both had study hall after Transfiguration, so they'd thought it best to find out which creature they'd be learning how to transform right away.

"How do you even know what yours is? I was never able to get anything more than mist when I tried," replied Lily. James shrugged.

"Me and Padfoot were bored, I s'pose. We practiced outside of class until we got it down, then we showed Wormtail how to get his, then Moony joined."

Lily considered his words for a few silent moments, before snorting and saying, "Sirius isn't a black dog, is he?"

He looked at her, clearly surprised, and stopped in his tracks. If she hadn't known better, she'd have thought he was frightened. "H-how'd you know that?"

"Wait, really? It is?" laughed Lily, but James's expression remained the same, so she offered an explanation. "His name."

He furrowed his brows in confusion. "What?"

" _Sirius Black._ Sirius, the dog star, and black, the color. I can't believe that's _actually_ correct, though," said Lily, bemused. James visibly relaxed, and laughed nervously.

"He never told me he was named after a star."

"Well, I imagine he'd argue that the _star_ was named after _him_ , so I can't blame you," said Lily, and they grinned together. "Hang on, is that why you call him Padfoot? And you — you're Prongs, 'cause you're a deer? And they've got, sort of, spikes on their heads?"

"Y-you— I'm not a _deer!_ " he objected, apparently taking great offense.

"Oh, right, _stag._ What's Peter, then? Wormtail… what's got a worm's tail?"

"A rat."

"That's… oh, that's oddly fitting. Poor thing. I wouldn't much like to be a rat," said Lily, and he nodded in thoughtful agreement. "Don't tell me Remus is a bloody moon, though. What's he?"

The panic returned to James's eyes for a split second, before he smiled widely and grabbed her arm. He pulled her forward, and the two resumed walking. "I'm sure yours will be much more interesting than Remmy's, my darling, as I'm not quite sure what sort of animal could be as beautiful, graceful, or lovely as you."

She rolled her eyes for the second time that morning, but let a small smile cross her lips. The topic of Moony was easily forgotten as she settled on trying to figure out why her heart was trying to escape her chest whenever their hands brushed.

They reached the courtyard and stepped out into the brisk air. Though the sky was overcast and the tops of trees swayed in cold wind, the spot they finally halted in was relatively pleasant. It was sheltered from the wind by large rocks, and her winter cloak kept her plenty warm. Stubborn flowers grew in small clumps by the boulders, there despite the snow that had fallen a few week ago, and the trees had soaked up all the moisture in the ground.

"Right," said James, adjusting the scarf around his neck. "You already know the incantation, yeah?" She nodded, and he continued. "Good, so… let's go from there, I suppose."

She pulled out her wand, and cleared her head.

" _Expecto Patronum!_ " A few measly flecks of white escaped her wand, and she stared dejectedly down at it. "Yeah, that seems about right," she mumbled.

James laughed, and took out his own wand. "You've got to focus. _Really_ focus," he said, coming to stand next to her. "And it can't be just _any_ memory, it's got to be the happiest one you have." He stilled, and his expression faded to neutrality. He held his wand straight ahead, and let his eyes flutter shut. "Let it fill you up," he added quietly, taking a deep breath. "Reimagine it in your mind, and then…"

His eyes opened again, and boomed, " _EXPECTO PATRONUM!_ " A silver mist shot out of his wand, so bright that Lily screwed up her eyes. The haze sparkled and twirled and danced for a stunning moment, until it gently slowed, and floated down to form a shimmering stag, just as he said it would. Her lips parted, and she stared as it twisted it's great head around and showed off it's impressive antlers. It turned to look at her curiously, taking a few hesitant steps forward, before it disintegrated in front of her eyes and James lowered his wand. "You see? Not so hard."

"That was…" tried Lily, searching for the right words. "T-that was really beautiful, James."

He smiled. "'Course it was. It's a projection of _me._ But yours, love, will be far more lovely. C'mon, try again."

Choosing to ignore his comment, she raised her wand, and began again.

However, the Patronus Charm was 'Advanced Magic' for a reason. As they neared the end of their practice session and it was almost time to head back inside, she'd still barely been able to make mist bubble out of her wand, let alone a fully-formed animal. James reassured her that it had taken him weeks to accomplish a corporeal patronus like the stag he'd produced and that she'd done better than he had when he'd first attempted, but she still felt disappointed.

She huffed, plopping down on the ground in frustration. Wind whistled through the trees above them as James sat down beside her.

"Isn't there some other way to find out what my patronus is? One that doesn't highlight how rotten I am at magic?" She plucked a few blades of grass from the ground, picking off small bits and flicking them away.

"You're not rotten at magic," soothed James. "You just need to practice." She groaned, falling back until her head touched the dirt and she was staring at the sky. "What memory have you been using? It might not be strong enough."

"Can't we just use yours? A stag is plenty impressive." He smiled proudly, and stretched his legs out in front of him.

"Yes, it is," agreed James boastfully. "And we can, if that's what you want, but I still think you should keep trying to produce a corporeal animal."

She furrowed her brows, and tilted her head to look at him. He'd taken his wand out, and had started drawing lazy, indistinct shapes in the air. A glittering trail of golden sparks followed the tip of it. "What? Why?"

"Because," he said steadily, "you should know how to defend yourself."

"I can already defend myself, thank you very much!" she said hotly, sitting upright once more.

He finally twisted his head around to gaze at her skeptically, and his wand stilled. "You've been to the infirmary twice _this year._ I've only been there once, and I play _Quidditch._ "

She glared at him. "You think I'm a helpless little girl?" She pointed her wand accusingly at him. "Care to put that to the test?"

He put his hands in the air, letting his wand drop and his eyebrows pop up. "N-no, no! I think if five-and-a-half years of being hexed and jinxed by you has taught me something, it's that you're anything but helpless." She lowered her wand, but her expression remained cold, and he pressed on with a newfound caution in his tone. "But that's just it… hexes and jinxes won't get you very far with a dementor, or a giant, or a basilisk. I'm not saying you can't take care of yourself — you most certainly can — but you're not invincible. It's better to struggle with it _now,_ or else you could be backed into a corner by a monster you don't know how to deal with. That's all I meant."

She was silent for a moment, and her gaze drifted over to the Great Lake. The sun wasn't out, but the surface of the water still sparkled. She took a breath. "I suppose you're right, but I don't see when I'll ever be faced with any of those things."

She looked back at him to find his expression was somber. "These are dark times, Lily. Perhaps you haven't noticed. You don't get the Daily Prophet, or go to many wizard towns, but… things are changing."

"Changing?" repeated Lily.

He hesitated, fiddling with the tip of his tie and looking down. "It… it wasn't always this way. The wizard world, I mean. The front pages of the paper used to feature famous old wizards dying, or some big black market bust. Now they're filled with mass murder and Pureblood supremacy. A few days ago, when my dad was coming home from work, three Deatheaters tried to kill him, and that never used to—"

"THEY TRIED TO — Merlin, James! Why would they do that? You're a Pureblood!"

"Yeah, but my parents are both Muggleborn advocates. They're pretty well-known and we sometimes get dirty looks, but it's never gone this far before."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Uh, well… you had a lot going on, and—"

"You didn't tell me about a _murder attempt_ on your father because I _broke up_ with someone?!"

"Er, yeah?" She stared at him disbelievingly. "Listen, it's okay. He's fine! I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but do you see what I'm saying? The world is different now. Voldemort could be recruiting dementors, or giants, or… or… Hell, he _could_ be recruiting basilisks! You have to be prepared!" His voice grew louder, as if he was trying to shout sense into her. She shrank away from him, alarmed at how indignant he was. His expression softened, and he shook his head. "Sorry. Just… promise me you'll practice?" She nodded.

"I will," she said quietly, scooting closer to him now that he had calmed himself. "Why are you so worried about me, anyway? I know I'm Muggleborn, but it's not like You-Know—"

"Say his name," said James, cutting her off.

"W-what?"

"Voldemort. Don't use that 'You-Know-Who' rubbish. If we can't even say his name, how are we supposed to defeat him?" The two of them had never spoken about Voldemort. In fact, she rarely talked to anyone about the subject, but the more he said, the more she agreed. *The fear of his name only increased the fear of the man himself*, and that's all he was. Not a God or deity, nor some kind of indestructible killing machine; a man. Granted, a horrible man with great power and a tendency to murder anyone who stood in his way, but a man nonetheless.

"After next year," said James slowly, "we'll leave Hogwarts. There'll be no Dumbledore to protect us… no infirmary to be rushed to." Here he paused, seemingly wanting to say something but unsure how to phrase it. She waited patiently as he searched for the right words. "I can't bear the thought of something happening to you, that's all." A small smile tugged on her lips, and she found herself reaching for his hand. She squeezed his fingers reassuringly, and his eyes darted down to their clasped hands, looking thoroughly surprised.

"I'm not going anywhere," she cooed, letting his fingers drop and pushing herself to her feet. She offered her hand to help him up, and he took it and stood. "You worry too much, Potter," she said playfully, a wider grin spreading across her features as they began to walk back to the castle. "It'll all work out in the end. You'll see." He looked unconvinced, but said nothing more.

She was vaguely aware that he hadn't let go of her hand, but she didn't pull away. _His hand is warm,_ she told herself firmly, _and the air is cold. It would be silly of me to let go. Then my hand would be cold._

-::-

After their last class of the day wrapped up, Lily, Marlene, and Dorcas decided to go to the library. Or, more accurately, Lily decided to go the library, Marlene didn't want to be left alone, and Dorcas wanted to gossip.

"I'm nearly one-hundred percent sure…" began Lily, pulling an old and battered book called _Charms of Defence and Deterrence_ from the shelf and thumbing through it's contents. "That Millie McSorely did not sabotage your potions essay."

Dorcas scowled, and crossed her arms. "Who else could it have been? Everyone know's she's got a massive crush on Sirius."

"What's that got to do with anything?" asked Marlene, lying lazily on the couch a few feet away from them, her legs perched on the armrest and her hands fiddling with her tie.

"She's jealous! She's trying to get back at me for stealing her man," said Dorcas, as if it were insanely obvious. Lily and Marlene exchanged half-amused, half-skeptical looks.

"I thought you two broke up ages ago," said Lily, skimming a page entitled _Patronus Charm_. She was determined to have the spell down by the end of the week, to wipe the sympathetic smile off James's face whenever she tried — and failed — to cast it.

"We did, but… it's got to be her! I can't think of anyone else who'd rip it up. I spent _so long_ on that bloody paper, too," she groaned, hanging her head in sorrow. "I haven't got time to re-do it." She paused in her wailing, and looked up at Lily through her lashes beseechingly.

"Absolutely not," said Lily, without looking up from the page. Her friend launched into a speech arguing why she should let her copy the essay Lily wrote, but the fifth paragraph on the charm had caught her attention.

It read: ** _The Patronus represents that which is hidden, unknown but necessary within the personality. For it is evident that a human confronted with inhuman evil, such as the Dementor, must draw upon resources he or she may never have needed, and the Patronus is the awakened secret self that lies dormant until needed, but which must now be brought to light. It is my firm belief that such a Patronus is an indicator of obsession or eccentricity. Here is a wizard who may not be able to hide their essential self in common life, who may, indeed, parade tendencies that others might prefer to conceal. Whatever the form of their Patronus, you would be well-advised to show respect, and occasionally caution, towards a witch or wizard who produces the Patronus of their choice.**_

It simply made sense to her. A patronus was the very core of it's caster; whether or not they liked it. That was why a stag fit James like a glove. It was an animal that had a superior aura about it. It was a beautiful and powerful animal, and it knew it.

 _Not,_ revised Lily quickly in her head, _that James is regal or beautiful or powerful._ He did so like to think he was, though. Everything about him screamed _you are very lucky to be talking to me_ and if a stag could talk, she imagined it would say something along those lines as well.

Dorcas clapped in front of her face, snapping her back to reality. "Hello? Earth to Lily?"

"Er — sorry." She closed the book, sliding it back onto the shelf. Dorcas looked at her dubiously, then gave Marlene a knowing glance. "What?"

"Nothing, it's nothing," said Dorcas dismissively, waving a hand and trotting over to sit next to Marlene on the couch. Lily frowned, and approached them.

"Seriously, what?" They were silent for a moment. Lily huffed angrily. "Both of you have been tip-toeing around me for the last week and a half!" shouted Lily, and promptly got shushed by the librarian. She smiled tensely at the old woman in apology, and lowered her voice. "If this is about Mark, I'm—"

"It's not about Markus," said Marlene with a sigh, and she sat up and swung her legs back to the floor. "It's about _you_."

"Me?" repeated Lily, and they both nodded. "What… do you mean? Have I done something?"

"No, um. More like what you _haven't_ done." This only bewildered her even further, and so her blonde friend elaborated. "That is to say… well, you've been zoning out a lot, recently, and usually—"

"We know you're in love with James, okay?" Dorcas blurt out. Marlene gave her an irritated look, then turned to Lily to see her reaction.

She stared at them, not knowing what to say. "Wouldn't that technically be about James, and not me?" she said, almost monotonously. Last time they'd brought this up, she'd yelled and gotten angry, but she didn't feel mad. She felt… bashful. Like a child who'd been caught doing something they weren't supposed to.

"Wait, hold on, so you admit it?" clarified Marlene. "We thought you were in denial."

"I'm not in denial," said Lily. "I'm just not in love with James." Another omniscient gaze passed between her friends, and she glowered. "I'm not saying that I don't… that I'm not… b-but I'm not _in love_ with him!"

"But you _are_ finally admitting that you like him? As in, more than a friend?" inquired Dorcas, leaning forward in anticipation.

Lily squirmed under their gazes, playing with the hem of her shirt and looking at her feet. "No… yes… I dunno. It's complicated. He's… I mean, it's _James._ He used to strut around the school hexing anyone with two eyes and a nose. He'd walk into class late so people would look at him. He'd fly circles around me on that stupid broomstick when I went outside!"

"He doesn't do that anymore, though," said Marlene, tilting her head to the side.

Lily sighed, and pressed her hands to her face in an attempt to clear her jumbled mind. "No, he doesn't. He had to go and be _sweet_ and _helpful._ The bloody prat." She collapsed onto the nearest armchair, and groaned. "I wish I'd said 'no' to being friends. Then none of this would have happened. Now I'm all… confused."

The three became quiet for a few moments, considering what she'd said. Watery light was still streaming in through the library window a couple feet away, though the sun was about to set.

"Not that I'm all that great at relationships, or love, or any of that stuff. Actually, considering mine and Sirius's… _bumpy_ relationship," here Lily and Marlene snorted, and Dorcas gave them both a pointed look, and then she continued, "I'm the last person you should take advice from, but from what I've seen… I think he really does care about you, Lily. He might even love you. Would it be such a bad thing to love him back?"

Lily chewed on her bottom lip, eyes traveling to the window. Flocks of birds were swirling around the overcast sky, and the bare trees were starting to regain some of their leaves. She didn't love James; she was sure of that much. It was the rest that was confusing her.

It was that hating him seemed so far from reality, she wondered how her heart had once sank when he entered the room. It was that she could recognize him by his handwriting, and that she'd met his parents after spending the night sharing his bed. She knew that when he smiled, his eyes crinkled around the edges and small dimples made an appearance on his cheeks. She'd memorized the way he said her name — first and last. It was that he looked abusively attractive in Quidditch robes, and how he tapped his leg when he was concentrating.

It was that loving James was, suddenly, appealing.

If she loved him, she could touch him. Hold his hand without coming up with excuses, fix his perpetually crooked tie. Wrap her arms around him and bury her face in his shirt. She could run her fingers through his hair, or straighten his glasses. She'd be invited back to his house, and to exciting new countries when Sirius had strange phobias and couldn't attend. Sleep in his clothes, wake up next to him, and always smell faintly of oranges, pine, and freshly laundered clothes. Pull him to her mouth by his tie, and taste him. He could he hers, and she could be his.

And thus, she came to a realization: She did not love James Potter.

But she could. It was no longer an impossible idea, and she had a feeling that it wasn't a question of 'if', but rather, 'when'.

She laughed quietly, and shook her head. "If my First Year self could see me now…" she mumbled. Inhaling deeply, she turned back to her friends. "How the Hell do I ask out James Potter?"

-::-

A week after she'd had her revelation of sorts, two things still had not happened.

The first being letting him know about her feelings. It was a simple enough concept — walk up to the boy, ask him out. She nailed the first step quite a few times, but it was the second one that she'd been getting stuck on. She knew that he would agree — that didn't stop her from picturing countless ways he would reject her — but for some reason, she simply couldn't bring herself to do it.

The second was the Patronus Charm. The two of them had agreed to use the stag, but James was still adamant with Lily learning how to cast it properly.

"I want to know you'll always be safe," he had said each time she tried to convince him she would be fine without that particular piece of magical knowledge. She'd thought it to be endearing at first, that he cared so much, but by the sixth day in a row of standing in the cold air in between classes and meals only to produce sputtering white sparks, she wished he would let it go.

"Lily, come on," he said, snapping to regain her attention. "Focus."

She scowled. " _Expecto Patronum…_ " she muttered, flicking her wand lazily. Nothing happened. He raised his eyebrows.

"Really?"

She grunted and lowered her arm. "Let's do something else. We've been at it for hours."

He sighed frustratedly. "Fine," he said, taking his own wand out. "My mini stag needs work, anyway."

They set to work transforming rocks, leaves, and twigs into small forms of James's patronus, having a much higher success rate. Dozens them pranced around, sniffing their newly-created clones and skipping off into the bushes once they grew bored. While they worked, the wind picked up, and the sun dipped low on the horizon. It wasn't until Lily's stomach growled that they finally decided to head back inside.

"I think we're pretty much done with McGonagall's assignment," said James. "It was relatively easy, considering she gave us a month to complete it."

"We still have to write a presentation on why we picked it," Lily reminded him, stuffing her hands into her cloak.

He grinned, and her heart fluttered. "Miss Evans, why did you pick the magnificent stag?" said James, imitating their professor. He continued by hitching his voice up an octave, and mimicking Lily. "Well, I really do think the stag symbolizes great strength and power. If anyone were to have it as a patronus — oh, my! I think I'd _have_ to marry them on the spot."

She poked his arm playfully. "I do not sound like that."

"Sure you do."

She gave him a look, and the two continued to pick their way up to the castle. The courtyard was completely devoid of people when they arrived, not that it was a surprise. The sun was almost entirely missing from the sky, and there were puddles every few feet that made walking without getting muddy nearly impossible.

James had stepped in front of her, and she was treading gingerly in his footsteps, careful to avoid the murky wetness. The last thing she needed was to slip and fall. So, when he stopped without warning, her nose smacked into his back.

"Oy!" Her hand flew to her face, and she rubbed the sore spot. She looked up, and saw he was staring at something in front of him. Peering around his torso, she glimpsed a dark figured scurrying up to them. Beside her, James took out his wand, and narrowed his eyes.

"What's he doing out of the dungeons?" spat James, and Lily took a closer look at the newcomer. It was Severus. Anger bloomed in her chest like a poisonous flower, and she felt herself curl her fingers around her wand.

When he finally reached them, he was panting and out of breath. James raised his chin. "Out for a midnight stroll, Snivellus? I see you still haven't showered," sneered James.

Severus's lip curled, and his black eyes glittered as he glared at the messy-haired Gryffindor. "Abysmal manners, as always, but I'm not here for you." His eyes shifted to her, and some of the menace and hate behind them faded away. "Honestly, Lil. _Potter?_ You're hanging out with _Potter?"_ She scowled, and let go of her wand. He clearly wasn't here to hurt anyone. Physically, anyway. Seeing him still sent a pang of grief through her chest. "I know you told me not to talk to you, but I need—"

"I don't care what you need." She brushed past James, who still had his wand in his hand and looked like he was considering using it, and tried to do the same with Severus. He caught her arm, however, and stopped her from walking away. "You— get off me!"

"Listen, you're—"

"NO! _You_ listen!" she shouted, yanking her arm from his slimy grasp. "Apparently you didn't hear it the first time, so let me make it even clearer. The next time you so much as _look_ in my direction, I'll hex you into another dimension. _Got it?_ "

"Lily, please, you need to—" he pleaded, his eyes filled with regret.

"Shut your mouth," she hissed. "And don't open it around me again."

She spun around and stomped away from the scene. Behind her, she could hear James saying something nasty, and then he caught up to her. They walked in silence to the common room, and fell into their respective beds without another word.

* * *

 **So! Lily finally admits her feelings, and Snivelly swoops in like a bat from the rafters. Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Complaints? Leave 'em all in a** **review** **! I answer/respond to all reviews in the next chapter, so please — let me know what you thought! Or, if you'd like, what you think will happen in the next one!**

 **This is a little bit shorter than usual - sorry about that. I wanted to squeeze one more chapter in before school starts again, because then the updates will be even less frequent. REMEMBER! TO! REVIEW! :D**

*This is a quote from the beautiful Goddess that is J.K. Rowling.*

**This is another quote from the motherfucking deity called J.K. Rowling, and can be found here - _writing-by-jk-rowling/patronus-charm_ **


	18. Eighteen: Blood and Lust

**Uhh, I made a poll. It's on my profile… you should check that sh_t out my dudes… ;) It'll be up until the last chapter of Little Things is out, which'll be a while more, judging by how friggin' LATE this one was (Whoops).**

 **As always, I give baksjfhllions of thanks to TrueHomiePiP** _(I suppose only time shall tell… *insert mysterious music here* I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!)_ **, Cinder Luna** _(Thank you so much! Seriously, I don't think you know how much your constant support means to me. Also, random sidenote: one of my cats is named Luna, so… cool? I dunno. Thank you!)_ **, Guest** _(Incredibly kind, as always. So happy you liked it!)_ **, GhostWave** _(*squeal* Oh, my goodness! Thank you so much! I try to keep the characters as canon as possible, and not make them_ too _perfect - I'm so glad you like them! And complimenting my storyline? :') What more could a girl ask for?! I'm so grateful for your amazing support, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!)_ **, LunaLovegood220022** _(Heathers? I'm not sure what— JUST KIDDING I F_CKING LIVE FOR THAT MOVIE HOLY SH_T! My friend showed it to me back in Junior High, and I've never stopped loving it. Everything about it is just so amazing. I've only seen snippets of the musical, but it's on my bucket list to one day watch the whole thing.)_ **, Starrya47** _(Markus will most definitely get what he deserves… :P Glad you liked the last chapter — I hope this one lives ups to your expectations.)_ **, Guest** _(So looking forward to your next review :D )_ **, Guest** _(Thank you, hope you like this one.)_ **, and Jily** _(I thank thank thank you for reviewing!)_ **for leaving insanely kind and supportive comments. It really makes my day to see them. :)**

 **Special thanks to Summersaults16 and Genevieveyoung for helping to beta this chapter!**

 **As a note about the update regularity: now that school has started again, new chapters will probably become a little more scarce. I'll try my very best to update this as often as possible, which will probably end up being, realistically, anywhere from 1 month to 3 months in between every chapter.**

 **Anyways! On to Chapter 18! (A.K.A. Lily Is Thirsty AF)**

* * *

 **The Little Things:**

 _Chapter 18: Blood and Lust_

* * *

It was miserably wet outside; soaked leaves clung to the ground and the soil was sickeningly mushy. The kind of cold that gripped your bones and held on tight became a permanent fixture in the air, and the thought of doing anything but sleeping next to a fire made Lily mentally groan. Nevertheless, she and her friends were huddled atop the creaking stands, cheering for their favorite Gryffindor Quidditch player. Remus and Peter had gone to fetch whatever chocolate they could get their hands on, while Marlene and Dorcas were shivering beside Lily. Sirius was standing as far away as the seats would allow, barely visible under his scarf and hat.

She applauded as her team scored, and rubbed her hands together in an effort to warm them. Wind whistled through the Quidditch pitch, and she watched as James's robes whipped around him in a blur of red and gold. A few disgruntled shouts could be heard from behind her as a non-Gryffindor student tried to push their way into the thronging mass, but she was too busy negotiating with herself to pay any mind.

She'd been doing that recently — debating with herself. Now that she was aware of her "more-than-friends" feelings for James. Lily was suddenly and painstakingly aware of everything she did and said around him. Every time she tried to tell him, all she could think of were the ways he might turn her down. So, to try to ease the guilt and abashment of her cowardice, she'd been making deals with herself. She quite enjoyed imagining what it was like to kiss him, and so most of these bargains revolved around that particular desire.

 _Alright,_ she thought firmly. _If Gryffindor loses this game, you'll kiss him. Yeah! Just… right on the mouth. No over-thinking it, no talking yourself out of it, Evans. A kiss to allay his loss. Like ripping off a band-aid… A really sexy band-aid, in a form-fitting uniform. I wonder what he looks like underneath it— Evans! Stop it, you're getting off-track! If they lose, you kiss him. Yes. Yeah. Alright… heart, you can stop beating so fast now, please._

Deep down, she knew that it was timorous of her to continue on like this, but it gave her the impression that it was no longer up to her to make a decision. The gods of fate would decide, or James would, or… _anyone but her_. It mitigated the stress of thinking about asking him out, and she fooled herself into believing that she was being clever.

Her gaze followed the wind-swept boy in a sort of daze, as her mind wandered back to her reverie. She'd never mentally undressed someone before. She thought it to be a rather tactless thing to do, but now she was much more lenient with the idea, especially when she saw how well his uniform fit him. It hugged his upper body, leaving little to the imagination. She also didn't mind the view from behind as he leaned over on his broomstick to catch the Quaffle. It would be rude complete the whole picture, no? When the red and gold fabric was practically begging her to ideate what was underneath...

She'd seen his torso once or twice — when Sirius'd snuck up behind James and tried to yank his shirt over his head — and it was marvelous. She hadn't a clue why. Sure, he played Quidditch, but all that meant was he was able to sit on a broom for awhile. How in the hell did he manage to _look that good?_ All she wanted to do was touch him; to move her hands slowly from his hips to his shoulders, lifting his shirt up as she went. She desperately wanted to wrap her legs around his waist, and feel his tongue in her mouth and against her lips — to weave her fingers through his hair and press herself against him until it was impossible to tell where she ended and he began. Skin to skin, his pleasant scent enveloping her as their lips collided and hearts pounded—

Somebody was poking her. She jumped and turned around in annoyance to see who'd interrupted her daydream. She was taken aback when she saw Sacharissa Prosser standing behind her.

"O-oh," she stumbled over her words, her cheeks filling with color as she realized what she'd been thinking about. "Hello—hi. Hello, uh, hello."

The Hufflepuff girl raised her eyebrows questioningly, and Marlene gave her a funny look.

"Speak much, Lil?" said Dorcas teasingly, a playful grin flickering across her features.

"Shut up," muttered Lily before turning back to Sacharissa. "Can I help you?" Her tone was brisker than she'd intended it, but she wanted to go back to watching James play… amongst other things.

"Er, well, I just wanted to apologize. On behalf of Mark, for… uh, everything, really." She seemed to be looking at everything but Lily as she spoke.

"You? You were the best thing about that horrible party, Sar. Why are _you_ apologizing?"

Sacharissa looked down at her feet and began wringing her hands. "I-I know that Markus already said that he's sorry, b-but… I think—" She broke off, her eyes suddenly darting up to meet Lily's emerald gaze. They were frantic, almost pleading, like she wanted Lily to guess what she was thinking so she wouldn't have to say it out loud. "Do you remember my parents?" she whispered, shuffling a few inches closer and peering into her eyes.

She nodded, and Sacharissa took a deep breath. Reaching out and grasping Lily's sleeve, she gently tugged her away from the crowd. They weaved between the students and descended down the stairs until they came to a stop in a more private area behind the seats. She was thoroughly confused now. What did Sacharissa need to say that couldn't be said in front of everyone else? This was beginning to feel like more than an apology.

"What's going on?" asked Lily cautiously. Sacharissa stared at the ground again, hugging her arms around her body.

"Lily… there's something going on."

"Something going on? What do you mean? What's happening?"

"Something… bad."

Lily sighed in frustration. "That's not helpful."

"Sorry. I wish I could say more, but… I can't. A little because I, myself, am not sure of it yet, but mostly because…" Here she, too, let out a sigh. She gave her a head a little shake, as though to clear her mind. "Look. I believe in honesty. Full, complete facts — I think it's the only option when it comes to real happiness. So I'm gonna give it to you. The truth, that is. I like you, Lily. You stand up for yourself, but not in a cruel way. You're pretty, even though you're a ginger—"

"Wait, what?"

"—and you're always nice. I mean, you practically _thanked_ my rotten excuse for a family after we treated you like garbage! Who does that?"

"Hold on, go back. What's wrong with gingers?"

"My point is, you're a truly decent person, which… I don't see a lot of those anymore. So I thought I should tell you what I've been hearing." Sacharissa glanced over her shoulder once more before continuing. "I think they're planning something. The You-Know-Who supporters. At Hogwarts. And it's going to be soon."

Lily blinked. She heard the crowd cheer again as Gryffindor scored another ten points, but it sounded distant. She'd been teased, mocked, and bullied throughout her time at Hogwarts by those who thought that they were better than her, but it had never fully registered. There were assholes everywhere in the world; racists, sexists, homophobes, or all of the above. She knew that — she'd always known that _—_ but "Blood Purity Supremacists"? Perhaps it was because she'd been raised in the Muggle world, but that had always sounded too excessively extreme to be true, from the moment she'd first been pushed into the mud on her first day at Hogwarts.

-::-

They think I'm weak, _thought Lily, face-down in viscous, wet mud. She was small for an eleven-year-old, coming in at just over four feet. Pulling her face out of the mud resulted in a disgusting squelching noise, and she propped herself up by her elbows. She wiped the brown slime out of her eyes and peered up at the boys who'd pushed her in._

 _They were cackling, clutching their stomachs in laughter. She didn't know them. She didn't know anyone except Sev, though, so that wasn't surprising. Lifting herself onto her knees, she examined her attackers through her mud-soaked lashes. They were all wearing green ties, and had their fingers curled around their wands. Sev had told her what each of the houses were, but she couldn't remember the name of this one. Slither-something… the snake house — Sev's house._

 _He hadn't been pleased that she was sorted into Gryffindor. He'd said that they were arrogant, narcissistic pricks who thought they ruled the school, but she could find no fault with her house so far. Actually, if anyone thought they were superior, she'd have to say it was the boys laughing at her, but she was rather biased at the moment._

 _A sharp pain in her side sent her flying head-first back into the ground as someone kicked her from behind. Her forehead hit a small rock concealed by the mud, and she sucked in a breath of pain. Instead of air, however, she was treated to more mud. Scrambling out of the miserable dark puddle, she coughed and sputtered as she tried to get it out of her lungs._

 _The boys laughed again. "Get comfortable,_ Mudblood. _This is where you belong." They shouted something she didn't make out, and a wind shot out of their wands. It made contact with the mud, blowing it upwards and raining down on her. Blood streamed from the cut on her forehead, making it hard to see when coupled with the fading light. "This is where all of you belong."_

 _She heard from her mother once that the key to avoid being bullied was to stand your ground. If they see that you're not afraid to fight back, they'll leave you alone and find someone who won't. That's what she said, anyway. So, after a moment's deliberation, she got to her feet. The September air was freezing against her wet clothes, and her cloak felt heavy now that it was soaked. She searched around it's great pocket until she found her wand, and pointed it at them. Her hand was shaking, and she prayed that it was dark enough for them not to notice this. They fell silent for a few moments, then stumbled around, shrieking with laughter._

 _She knew no spells, had no training or experience with magic — had absolutely no clue what she was doing. The only time she'd ever seen it used was when Sev had made little sparks fly out of his wand. She didn't even know what to call herself. Was she a witch, or was "wizard" a blanket term that encompassed both genders? Lily couldn't say. But they didn't know that. For all they knew, she'd been studying hard and could now perform an impeccable blowing-up spell._

 _If that was even a thing._

 _"_ _Leave me alone," she squeaked, trying to keep her voice steady. She straightened her back so that she'd look taller._

 _"_ _Are you going to hex us, Mudblood?" snickered the boy who'd kicked her. He had straight brown hair that clung to his face unpleasantly, and his eyes glittered black. She was unsure of whether they were actually black, or if it was just because of the growing darkness that they looked like that. She decided to call him Kicker._

 _She raised her chin and pretended to be perfectly aware of what a "hex" was. It was clear she wasn't going to be able to fight her way out of this. Perhaps she could outsmart them. All she needed to do was get their attention off of her for a few minutes, and then she could make a break for the castle. Glancing past them she could see the huge doors of Hogwarts. At a sprint, she could reach them in a little under a minute. She kept her wand raised. Whatever she did, she needed to make them think she could fight. The second they knew otherwise, they'd revert to shamelessly dunking her head in the World's Most Unpleasant Apple-Bobbing Station. Or maybe, Rock-Bobbing Station?_

 _"_ _Five against one isn't exactly fair," she said calmly, the gears turning in her mind._

 _They chuckled. "So?" said a blond boy standing on Kicker's right. "Why would we want a fair fight?"_

 _Lily shrugged. "Oh, I dunno, it's just… Well, kicking me around in the mud only means that you're all followers." They looked at each other stupidly, clearly not quite grasping what she was hinting at. She refrained from rolling her eyes, and tried again. "You'd be his sidekicks." She gestured to Kicker. "Flunkies? Minions?" This, they understood, and they didn't seem too pleased with the idea._

 _The blond boy piped up again. "I'm not anyone's_ elf, _" he spat, although ironically he would later become Hector Clearwater's most devoted follower. "I'm the best fighter here."_

 _Kicker turned to the blond boy, his grasp tightening around his wand. "I could wipe the floor with your face, Donohue."_

 _"_ _Please. You can barely wipe your ass; you think you can take me?" responded Donohue, the blond boy, with a smirk. The boys around them chuckled, and Kicker glared at them._

 _Lily was being as quiet as humanly possible. They were doing exactly what she'd hoped, and seemed to almost forget she was there. She glanced again at the doors that led inside. She'd have to run harder and faster than she'd ever run before, but she thought she could make it, especially if they were distracted._

 _Donohue raised his wand, pointing it menacingly between Kicker's eyebrows. For a few tense moments, it looked like the blond boy was going to deliver the first blow, but Kicker had stealthily taken out his own wand, and muttered an incantation. Blue and red sparks shot out the end, hitting Donohue squarely in the stomach and sending him reeling backwards. Lily felt a cruel sense of satisfaction race through her as she watched the mud splatter against his robes. The group cheered, backing up to allow room for the duel._

 _"_ _YOU'RE DEAD!" screamed Donohue, frantically gasping for air and slipping around in the wet dirt. The blow must have knocked the wind out of him. He flung a spell at Kicker from the mud, forcing him to the ground as well. Lily's heart rate quickened; she sensed her opening. If she didn't run soon, they'd realize what she'd done._

 _While the two boys shrieked and hurled increasingly nasty spells at one another, she carefully slid her feet under her. She was almost completely covered in the disgusting brown muck, but it made her harder to see, and she suddenly felt grateful for the semi-disguise. Maneuvering a few body parts at a time, she got herself into the perfect position to start running._

 _"_ _HEY!" she heard someone shout from the fight next to her. Her stomach dropped and she was sure she'd been caught, but she launched herself forward. She almost lost her footing, but was able to regain it, and raced across the open stretch of wet grass._

 _"_ _SHE'S RUNNING!"_

 _"_ _GET HER!"_

 _The pound of footsteps hard on her tail and angry voices screaming, Lily felt adrenaline pulsing through her body. She could make it. She could make it._

 _Sixty yards._

 _Thunder rolled overhead and she felt cold drops of rain begin to fall from the ever-darkening sky. Perhaps the sun hadn't gone down at all, but clouds had simply blocked the light. She didn't care._

 _Fifty yards._

 _"_ _THAT STUPID BITCH CAN_ RUN! _" screeched the now-familiar voice of Kicker, from much closer behind her than she would have liked. Her heart felt ready to burst, and her lungs were screaming for her to stop, but he didn't even sound out of breath._

 _Forty yards._

 _She willed her legs to move faster, screwing up her eyes and sending a silent prayer to… someone. Anyone who was listening. But neither Merlin, nor God, nor whomever was up there could make her open her eyes quite quick enough. A looming black shape jumped out of the darkness as she ended her prayer. She tried to swerve out of it's path, but her right foot didn't clear it. She went flying forward, back into the mud. Panic seized her and she scrambled for a few miserable seconds, trying to right herself and keep sprinting, before the Slither-something boys caught up to her. They circled her, not unlike a predator circles its prey, wands raised and chests heaving._

 _"_ _You shouldn't have done that," said Kicker, laughing at her apparent stupidity. "You_ really _should not have done that, you stupid, stupid Mudblood."_

-::-

"Lily?"

"Huh?" She shook her head, pushing the memory to the back of her mind and focusing once again on the Hufflepuff girl in front of her. That night had been the first one she spent in the hospital wing, and she had no desire to continue thinking about it. "What?"

"I said, what do you think?" repeated Sacharissa.

"I think…" she trailed off, squeezing her torso and rubbing her hands up and down her upper arms as a chilly wind picked up again. "It's plausible. Weren't there Death Eaters in Hogsmeade recently?" Lily chewed on her lower lip. She could see why Mary's parents had pulled her out of school. Before all of this, she'd disregarded the Death Eater sightings as pure _Daily Prophet_ gossip, but now she wasn't so sure. If her own parents heard the news about how close she was to Voldemort's supporters, they would tear her away from Hogwarts faster than she could imagine. Her expression hardened. James was right. She needed to learn how to defend herself.

She readied herself to return to the cheering mass of students, bidding farewell to Sacharissa as she returned to her own stands, but stopped when she heard two familiar voices from nearby. Rotating, she followed the sound. She turned a corner, and Remus and Peter came into view, too enveloped in their own conversation to notice her walking slowly towards them.

"Reschedule it, then!" Peter was urging as she crept within earshot. Eavesdropping made her feel scummy, but it wasn't as if she was purposefully hiding. They simply hadn't seen her yet.

"I can't!" responded Remus, wringing his hands nervously. "I already cancelled last month, and the deadline is coming up, and… er, well, don't you think it's a little suspicious to bail on two full moons _in a row?_ "

"You think it'll be better for her to see you go full tooth-and-nail while you're practicing?" asked Peter, crossing his arms. What the hell were they talking about?

"I didn't say that," snapped Remus. "I — Lily. Lily, LILY!" His eyes grew wide, and she stopped dead in her tracks as he screeched her name. Peter's head whipped around and he let out a small squeal of surprise, stumbling backwards into his friend as he did so.

"L-Lily. Lily. Lily is here," cried Peter. Remus pushed him off, and he shrank back against the wall.

"Er, are you two… alright?" asked Lily, a mixture of pity and confusion rushing through her as she watched Peter's trembling body huddle against the wall behind him.

"GREAT!" shouted Peter, making her jump. "We're great! Never better — I'm g-going to… Moon—Rem—oh…" This did not clear things up.

Remus elbowed his friend, who yipped. "Why don't we all go back to the match? Prongs said this is the first one where you'll be cheering for him, instead of Markus." Why was he trying to change the subject?

"Fantastic idea!" sighed Peter, relief evident in his voice. He practically sprinted past her, and back into the stands. Remus tried to guide her to the game as well, but she grasped his arm and tugged him back.

He bit his lower lip. "Please don't ask me what we were talking about."

"What were you guys talking about?"

Remus sighed, cramming his hands into his front pockets. The stands opposite them roared as Slytherin scored, and the seats rattled as Gryffindor objected.

"I'm sorry, but you've been acting strange all month. You hardly talk to me anymore, you regularly skip classes — _and_ McGonagall lets you make up assignments! Even _I_ don't get that luxury." He shuffled his feet.

"Er, I've just been having some troubles lately."

She didn't want to push him into telling her something that he wasn't comfortable sharing, but at the same time, she wanted to know what had been going on with Remus Lupin as of late.

Her gaze softened, and she reached out for his arm. He looked up at her, and he wore an almost guilty look. She squeezed his upper arm comfortingly.

"Whatever it is, Remus, I'm here for you. However much you want or don't want to tell me. Just know that I—" she broke off, staring at him as her mind worked out what had just happened.

Remus skipped class approximately two days a month. Peter had mentioned something about the full moon, and now that she thought about it, those two days always seemed to line up with the lunar cycle. Why? Why would he do that?

"Lily?" he whispered, his voice laced with fear. "Lily, no, stop! Stop thinking about it! Let's just— we can go back to the match! Please, stop." This time he grabbed her, and tried to yank her toward the stands, but she would not go.

What had Peter said? _Do you want her to see you go full tooth-and-nail?_

Her eyes widened a little, and Remus whimpered.

"Lily, _please._ "

When sixth year had begun, she'd been late for rounds. She'd hurried to the spot where she and Remus were supposed to meet, and had found him talking to Peter. Their conversation had been strange, but she hadn't given it much thought. Until now, that is. _Now_ she was wracking her brain to remember the encounter.

 _It wasn't that bad, really,_ Peter had said. _It was only a scratch, and we're only trying to make it bearable._

Then Remus had spoken. _Exactly! Next time it could be a bite._

A bite? There was only one thing — one animal — that checked off all of the boxes Lily was coming up with. Full moon? Teeth, nails? Bites?

"Lily?"

She looked into his eyes. They looked like sad green pools under the overcast sky, and they were practically begging her not to say it.

"You're… holy shit, Remus, are you…?" His expression melted. He placed a hand gently over her mouth, checking over his shoulders.

"You can't tell a soul, Lily. Not one. _Especially not Sirius._ He'll think I told you on purpose, and then he'll hate me, and I don't think I can handle that right now—"

She pushed his hand away. She thought that anyone who wanted to eavesdrop would have a hard time hearing anything because of the noise from the stands, but she was still mindful to keep her voice low. "Stop. Wait. So, you're actually… _that?_ "

He nodded solemnly.

" _Merlin,_ Remus," she said, still trying to process it. How could she not have seen it before? In hindsight, the signs were blazingly obvious. "How… how long?"

Remus took a deep breath, and she suddenly thought he looked aged beyond his years. "A long time. Look, I'll answer any questions you have, because I'm sure you have many, but… not here. What about tomorrow, during rounds? The halls are always deserted then." She nodded, and they silently made their way back to the roaring Gryffindor masses.

She was so shocked by the sudden realization that she didn't notice the withering glances she received from the Slytherin stands.

-::-

Gryffindor did end up winning, which meant Lily was excused from planting one on James. That didn't mean she didn't feel an overwhelming urge to as he marched through the doors to the Gryffindor common room, though.

There were red circles around his eyes from where his goggles had been, now replaced with his usual round glasses. He still wore his red and gold uniform, however — the one that unleashed the butterflies in her stomach. In his right hand, he carried his broom, and in his left was a small object. Lily squinted, but from the far side of the room where she sat on the couch, she couldn't make out what it was.

After the match had ended, she'd hurried to the library. Remus's confession wasn't something to be taken lightly, and Lily didn't plan on doing so. She'd checked out two books on lycanthropy; _Modern Lycanthropy,_ and _Defensive Magical Theory,_ and had spent the rest of the time up until the Quidditch team walked in cozied up by the fire pouring over the pages.

But then the Quidditch team _had_ walked in, starring the one and only James Potter, and now she couldn't stop staring. She watched as Sirius and Peter raced up to their messy-haired friend, celebrating their most recent victory with claps on the back and cheers. James grinned widely at his friends, saying something eagerly to them that Lily couldn't hear.

A small smile played with her lips. Even when she'd disliked him, she couldn't help but notice when he entered the room. He had a way of commanding other people's attention — either by doing or wearing something absolutely ridiculous upon entry, or simply being the unequalled sort of boy that he was.

 _And,_ Lily added in her mind, _he's adorable when he's happy._ She watched as he laughed at something Sirius said. It was a pleasant noise; a bubbly, infectious sound that made her feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

She tore her eyes away from them, staring instead at the book she was currently reading, which was _Defensive Magical Theory._ It was extremely unhelpful. The only portion of it that covered werewolves at all was about how to kill them. All she wanted to know was a bit more about lycanthropy, so that she didn't sound like a complete idiot when she spoke with Remus later on. But this book was getting her nowhere.

Sighing, she snapped it shut and threw it down on the seat cushion next to her. She picked up the second one, turning it over in her hands. It was dauntingly thick, and when she'd checked it out at the library, she'd had to blow a thin layer of dust off the cover.

"Hello, Evans."

She jumped, and her head whipped around to face the voice. James was grinning down at her, matching the crimson sofa in his uniform. His glasses were, as always, crooked, and she had the sudden urge to reach out and straighten them. She refrained, and instead told herself that no matter how hard her heart beat, he wouldn't be able to tell.

"Evening, Potter," she replied, watching him come around the arm of the couch to sit beside her. He'd stowed his broom elsewhere, but still clutched the object in his hand. Now that he was closer, she could see it was a snitch.

"You look beautiful today. Do we have a test on lycanthropy?" James put his feet up on the table, peering at the book she had in her hands. He passed the snitch in between his hands absent-mindedly.

"Hmm? Oh, no, I was just doing some… uh, reading." He raised one eyebrow dubiously, but she changed the subject before he had a chance to respond. "I came to your game!"

"Yeah? How'd you like it? I hope you weren't too distracted by me," he said with a wink, and gestured to himself, "and enjoyed the match."

A smile found it's way to her mouth. "It was very… fast-paced," she said carefully. "I still don't know much about Quidditch, but you were good. I think. Right? Catching the ball is good, yeah?"

He laughed, and nodded. "Yes, Chasers catch the balls." The golden surface of the snitch caught the firelight, and she blinked.

"I thought the Seekers caught the snitches, though?"

He seemed to recognize that she was referring to the ball in his hands, and he held it up. "You mean this? I didn't catch this. I've been collecting 'em since fourth year. They never seem to notice they're gone."

"Oh," said Lily, becoming marginally uninterested in the conversation. A thought entered her mind, however, that sparked her involvement. She placed _Modern Lycanthropy_ back on the table, and turned with renewed interest to James. "Black said something at Mark's house. I mean, he said something _before_ he stuck his tongue down my boyfriend's throat. About Dorcas. Do you, er, happen to talk to him about… that sort of thing?"

"You're asking if I talk to Padfoot about his sex life?"

Lily coughed uncomfortably. "Yeah — not that I want details, or anything like that!" She screwed up her nose in disgust, trying to push all the images the conversation was conjuring to the far back corners of her mind, never to be thought about again. "But, uh, do you know what's going on with them? See, Dorcas came whining to us that he'd blown her off, but he said the opposite."

"He's probably said _something_ about it, but… you know how he gets. I've learned to tune him out sometimes." James attempted to twirl the snitch on his index finger, just like a basketball player would do with a basketball, but it extended its wings and zipped away. He scrambled to catch it before it flew out of reach.

"No, I don't 'know how he gets'. I barely know him."

He reached up with his free hand to ruffle his hair, looking at her curiously. "Really? Hmm. Well, he's very dramatic. Often to the point where he — wait, can I say this, as his Honorary Best Mate? I don't want to be mean. He's not a bad person, contrary to how he acts. And what he says. And… what he does— that's not that point. He'd never intentionally hurt someone for no reason."

"Severus was what, then? And Mark? Did he think I'd be fine with that?"

"No, of course he didn't. Snivellus — no, uh. He did that cause it was… I dunno, it was our _thing._ "

"Bullying was your 'thing'? Yikes."

"No— let me rephrase that." He set down the snitch, giving Lily his full attention. The fire cast long shadows on his face as he took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Sirius grew up helpless. He disagreed with his family on practically everything, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. He had to sit down, be quiet, and participate, even if he hated what he was doing. When he got to Hogwarts, and I think especially when he met me, he realized he didn't have to do that anymore. So he started standing up for what he believed in, which is great, but not-so-great when you pair that with my first-year self. I was cocky and arrogant and spoiled, and I did what I wanted, when I wanted—"

"What do you mean 'did'? That's how you are _now,_ " said Lily, grinning and poking his arm. But James didn't join in with her laughter. He pulled her hand down and held it earnestly. His gaze was piercing — not mad, but certainly not amused.

"Evans, let me talk. I'm trying to defend someone I love." She blinked. He spent so much time poking fun at his long-haired friend, she'd forgotten how much Sirius meant to him. She nodded solemnly, keeping her lips sealed for the rest of his speech. "We picked on Snivellus because he was small and weird, and Sirius needed an outlet. We figured nobody would care. That attitude eventually led to us hexing people in the halls, and just being pricks in general, and—" He inhaled deeply and ran his hands down his face. "We both regret that time. But know that he wasn't doing it because he enjoyed the _inflicting pain unto others_ part of it. It was the only way he could feel like he had control of his life. We were each other's only friends, and we… I dunno. We bonded over it. I'm not proud of it, but that's the truth.

"As for Prosser… he just didn't think about the consequences. When he talked to me about it, he said that it was a split-second decision, and he'd had a fight with his brother… he needed something to take his mind off of everything, that's all. It wasn't that he weighed the pros and cons of snogging him and decided, 'to hell with it!'. He just… did it. Can you understand that? You don't have to forgive him, it was a lousy thing to do, but… understand he didn't do it to hurt you, and that he never would. Can you do that?"

She gazed at him for a moment, soaking up all that he'd said. It wasn't as if Markus had been the love of her life, or even a love at all. In fact, her and Sirius's motivations weren't that different; she'd only wanted someone to hold. Markus had been fine, but not worth destroying a friendship — if that's what you could call Lily and Sirius's relationship — over.

"Yes, I can."

He smiled. Not a goofy grin, or an arrogant smirk, just a simple smile. All at once, she noticed that he was still holding her hand. She glanced down to their touching fingers, and he seemed to join her in the realization. His smile widened, morphing back into the cheesy grin she was accustomed to, and he made quick work of twisting his hand so their fingers were intertwined. She was so distracted by this sudden action that the fact that he had completely avoided discussing Dorcas slipped her mind.

Out of habit, she pulled her hand back. He, of course, only held tighter. Once he started talking, she stopped struggling against his grasp. She should just do it; tell him here and now. Then it would be over and done with.

"I don't believe I've courted you today."

"Y-you said I looked beautiful, when you sat down?" she stuttered, trying to assemble her jumbled thoughts. How should she tell him? Was this even a good time?

"Did I?" asked James. He looked genuinely surprised. "I think your pulchritude has given me temporary memory loss."

She laughed, and felt his thumb begin to draw small circles against the back of her hand, sending tingles up her arm. "My _what?_ "

"Pulchritude. Beauty? Your feminine charm, my darling," he purred, leaning closer. Her stomach flipped upside-down. The smell of leather clung to him, most likely from the match's Quaffle, and the minty scent of his toothpaste came along with it, tickling her nose in a surpsingly pleasant mixture. What had she eaten last? Did her breath smell awful?

"Uh… a-alright, then." His grin faded a little, and he shot a look at their hands. She was debating whether or not to squeeze his hand back when he blinked, and donned a more serious expression.

"Lily?"

"Mmm hmm?" she murmured, watching the gold in his eyes dance in the firelight.

"Your heart is beating very quickly." Her breath caught in her throat. He must be feeling her heartbeat through her fingers. She snatched her hand away, holding it tight against her chest. "Why was it doing that?"

She stood up, pushing the blanket roughly off of her. She'd been wrong; this was a horrible time to tell him. They were in the common room, he hadn't even changed out of his Quidditch robes — not that she minded — and she needed to focus on what Remus had told her. She made to pick up her werewolf books but he, too, stood, and gently pulled her back to face him.

"Lily."

She sighed, and drew her gaze up to meet his. They were standing very close. She thought the other students in the room might be watching their encounter at this point, but she couldn't bring herself to care. All she knew was that she needed to do _something_. She couldn't go on pretending she felt nothing for him.

She shuffled a few inches closer, and stood on her tiptoes. Placing her mouth close to his ear, she murmured, "You played very well today, James."

Then, in the kind of instantaneous decision that would make Sirius proud, she turned her head and kissed his cheek. His skin was warm and smooth against her lips.

Taking a hasty step back and feeling her surely already-red face flush with even more color, she swiped her books off the table, fetched her blanket from the floor, and scuttled up to the girls' dormitories without looking to see how he'd reacted.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Step right up and leave them in a** **REVIEW!** **I respond to them all in the next chapter!**

 **I think I've said this is a previous A/N, but if anyone feels like leaving a super-helpful ultra-amazing review, all they've got to do is leave a short description of some of the characters' personalities as they feel they've been portrayed thus far. I'm trying to get a few of them to appear a certain way, and knowing how you guys perceive them would be incredibly helpful.**

 **Also, what you** ** _look for/like most about romantic scenes_** **, because I'm just the worst at those, as you're about to find out. :) Of course, every review is a little ray of sunshine in my inbox, so don't feel pressured to do so. :P**


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